Halo: Silent Call
by Auralee
Summary: COMPLETE! The Master Chief is sent to reconnioter a potentially dangerous discovery, and is accompanied by one of ONI's best operatives. Yet when both set out on their mission, each becomes aware of a silent call only they can hear. Bad summary....
1. Cast and Prologue

Greetings to my fellow Halo fans! A new story for your enjoyment, written in response to a 'challenge' for a new fic (you know who you are!). Anyways, I'll let the story speak for itself. Enjoy! Disclaimer: I own nothign from Halo. 

Halo: Silent Call

**Cast Of Characters**

**John-117:** The Master Chief, and the only known surviving member of the SPARTAN-II Project. He's survived Halo, the Flood, the Covenant, and countless other brushes with death. Now, as he prepares for one last mission, he wonders why he suddenly feels so empty…

**Lieutenant J. L. Hawkes:** A tough, competent ONI officer, assigned to the Master Chief for his next mission. While Hawkes has the backing of many members of ONI's brass, and is the only one who's intimately familiar with the Chief's files, there's much more to this operative than meets the eye…

**Colonel James Ackerson: **A long-standing opponent of the Spartan program, he's finally wised up to the Chief's skills, and almost respects him as a fellow soldier. He's sending his best operative along on this new mission, and can't help but wonder if he'll ever see Hawkes again…

**Cortana:** The formidable AI has assisted John-117 since before the fall of Reach, and has helped him survive countless close calls. Can she get him through this one intact? And how much does she know about the mysterious Lieutenant who's going with them?

**Prologue**

John came to wakefulness sharply, noticing the deceleration of the Prowler as he sat up. _We must be near Earth_, he thought as he cleared the rest of the sleep from his mind. His armor was nearby; as comfortable as he felt in it, it certainly wasn't designed for sleeping. The Master Chief ran a hand through short brown hair, then pushed himself out of the bunk. Even though he knew it was in top shape, he ran a diagnostic on his Mjolnir armor just to give himself something to do.

It was times like these, when all was practically quiet, that a feeling of discontent stole over him. He'd been raised to serve the UNSC, and it was all he knew; he'd done so to the best of his abilities, he and his fellow Spartans. Now most of his comrades were either missing or dead, he was the last, and he felt empty, alone. There was no reason for it, but nevertheless, he felt the emptiness steal over him. _Why?_ To that he had no answer.

---- 

"A mission? With the Master Chief?"

"Is there something wrong with your hearing, Lieutenant?" Colonel James Ackerson leaned back in his chair, eyeing the opposite side of his desk. Hawkes was one of his best, which could explain some of the reasons ONI turned a blind eye to some of the officer's "unusual" methods.

"No sir," Lieutenant Hawkes straightened in stiff respect. The circumstances surrounding the Lieutenant's assignment were unusual enough, since lieutenants rarely got high-profile assignments, but _this_…to be fighting alongside a hero…Hawkes looked the Colonel squarely in the eye.

"I merely find it unusual for someone of my standing to be assigned to a war hero, sir."

"Understandable. And there are any number of operatives who could easily perform on such a mission, and who have a higher rank with more experience. There's a reason you were picked, though, Lieutenant, several in fact. The first is, of course, your unique approach to your missions. While successful, many of your actions have raised quite a few eyebrows with HighCom, and this may be your opportunity to prove yourself." Ackerson watched the younger officer stiffen: Hawkes was well aware of the operations in question, and to be reminded of them was definitely not necessary.

"Second, your training in stealth is practically off-the-charts, for a non-Spartan. That coupled with your decryption skills will be a valuable asset. And since this will primarily be a reconnaissance mission, you'll need both skills more than you will a firearm.

"And finally, you are probably the only operative who happens to be _intimately_ familiar with the Master Chief." Hawkes' head shot up, green-flecked hazel eyes holding a worried look. Ackerson chuckled.

"Those decryption skills are going to get you into trouble one day, Hawkes. Things were left out of the Spartan's file for a reason, and you definitely stirred up the hornets' nest when they found out you knew."

"So that's why I'm going? So ONI can shut me up?" There was a definite edge to the Lieutenant's voice.

"No, Hawkes, you're going so I can finally prove to ONI that you're one of our best. Just make sure you don't prove me wrong."

"Sir!" Hawkes snapped off a crisp salute, then turned and headed off, presumably to prepare for the mission. Ackerson sighed. _More trouble than you're worth, sometimes._ He hoped he was doing the right thing; too many lives had been spent for the security of mankind, and here he was potentially spending more. He hoped he could stomach the price.


	2. Chapter 1: The Mission

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo. 

Chapter One: The Mission

The Master Chief felt mildly surprised at being escorted through the heart of HighCom on Earth. The secure facility was similar to the CASTLE facility on Reach, but there was higher security here. Remembering the Reach facility brought back a pang of regret: Grace, Li, Anton, all the others who had escaped Reach with him were either dead or missing. _I'm the only one left_, he thought; while he'd known for a while, being here suddenly brought the point home to him.

"If you'll wait here, Master Chief, Colonel Ackerson will be with you shortly," the young petty officer who had escorted him said. He turned and exited discreetly, leaving John to ponder his words. _Colonel Ackerson would be with you shortly._ It was no secret that the Colonel strongly opposed the Spartan program, and John remembered vividly how the man had tried to rig the obstacle course during the test for his new armor.

"Cortana, any thoughts?" he asked, seemingly to empty air.

"Several, in fact, but you might not like what I'm thinking," the AI's voice replied through his speakers. "I still haven't found much on that lieutenant we'll need to be babysitting, but if Ackerson's involved that means trouble. For all we know this guy could be going along just to sabotage us."

John frowned: while he didn't like to think a fellow soldier would do something like this, Cortana did have a point. He reviewed the mission perimeters that had been sent to him. He and Lieutenant Hawkes were to scout out a possible Covenant base, and establish the threat level. There was also some suspicion of Forerunner artifacts at the site, which placed an even greater urgency to the mission. _It makes sense that they'd send an ONI officer along to observe, but why a lieutenant? And why is Ackerson coordinating this mission?_

Behind him the door clicked softly; it took all his control to keep from responding to a potential threat. The Chief stood at attention as Colonel Ackerson entered the room; someone else moved behind him, but so calmly one knew it to be nothing more than an aide. Indeed, if it hadn't been for the faint movements he made when he slipped in the door, he never would've known he was there.

Colonel Ackerson sat down behind his desk, taking a long look at the Master Chief.

"At ease, Master Chief." He took a long look at the Mjolnir armor and reflective faceplate. "Thank you for arriving so timely; I'll have to make a note for them to give you a chance to rest next time. No doubt they pulled you off the ship as soon as you arrived in system."

"Sir!" John snapped off a crisp salute. "I came as soon as I heard you wanted to see me." Ackerson nodded calmly, but the Chief noticed one hand clenched in a fist; the man was uneasy.

"Have Lieutenant Hawkes report to my office at once." The aide nodded and exited the room. Ackerson finally looked at his hand and relaxed it.

"I won't mince words, Master Chief. I'm no fan of the Spartan program, but I think you're the best bet for this particular job. As soon as Lieutenant Hawkes gets here, I'll brief both of you."

"Or I could just find out on my own," Cortana's voice echoed over the Chief's helmet speakers. Ackerson smirked.

"Ah, just as charming as ever, Cortana. I should have guessed you'd be there as well. Nevertheless, I'll brief both of you when Hawkes arrives."

The Chief barely heard the door behind him open and close, and the movement flashed on his suit's motion tracker just before a woman's voice drifter through the office.

"You wanted to see me, Colonel Ackerson?"

"Lieutenant, thank you for coming so promptly." Ackerson turned back to the Master Chief. "Master Chief, I'd like you to meet Lieutenant Hawkes. She'll be going with you on this mission."

John took a good look at his new teammate. Chestnut-colored hair was pulled back into a tight braid, and hazel eyes stared at him in what seemed a mixture of admiration and apprehension. She stood about five-foot-eight, and her uniform covered a slim sinewy frame. This mysterious lieutenant had an attractive enough appearance, but he found himself wondering what good she'd be in a combat scenario.

----

Jessica Hawkes had been in the UNSC for a fair amount of time, most of which had been spent in stealth-recon missions. She'd seen enough to make anyone think they'd seen everything, but all that paled in comparison to right now. The Chief in his armor was over seven feet tall, and she held no illusions about his skill in progress. Hell, she'd practically _memorized_ his entire file, a fact she silently hoped would go unnoticed. Forcing her expression to maintain neutral, she returned her gaze to the Colonel.

"Colonel, with all due respect, this is highly irregular. As I mentioned before--"

"And as I mentioned before, Lieutenant, you're the best candidate for the job, you and the Master Chief. Now, are you going to continue arguing with me or are you going to listen for once in your military career?"

_Why, that…_ Jessica couldn't help the scowl that crossed her face; for Ackerson to remind her of her 'unusual' tactics in front of the Master Chief was both embarrassing and infuriating. And now he was ignoring her completely, going back behind his safe little desk, and leaving her to stand in confusion next to a legend.

"Hawkes, you can stand at ease at any point in time," Ackerson frowned her way, and she realized she'd been unconsciously standing stiffly.

"Sorry, sir." Relaxing her posture, she forced herself to calm down.

"Good. Now that we're all here, we can begin." Ackerson activated a holographic display, showing a planet near what used to be the Outer Colonies.

"We just found this planet not too long ago, and from the looks of things the Covenant got here first. Our Prowlers have detected a sizable Covenant force already planetside, and several cruisers in orbit. We've also decrypted a number of Covenant transmissions; from the sounds of things they're looking for more Forerunner technology."

"So why aren't we going to wipe them out now?" The voice coming from the Chief's helmet caught Jessica off guard—she'd forgotten about the AI Cortana.

"The planet's atmosphere is having an unusual effect on our scanners. We don't know how many Covenant troops are down there, anymore than we know what kind of troops we'd encounter. If we were lucky it would be Elites, but ONI's operating under the assumption that it'll be Brutes, Jackal, etc.," Jessica smiled at Ackerson's disapproving look. "Colonel, when you tell me I'm being assigned to an op and tell me I'll have to wait for the briefing, you can't expect me to not be curious."

"We'll discuss that later, Hawkes," Ackerson growled. "As far as this mission is concerned, you and the Master Chief are going to see what's going on down there. Lieutenant Hawkes is highly proficient in stealth insertion and recon," he said to the Chief and Cortana, "and has exceptional decryption skills. Meaning no disrespect, Cortana, but there may be too much risk to send just you. If there's a need to crack any Covenant codes that risks your capture, Hawkes will step in."

"Why do I not like the sound of that?" Cortana muttered.

"I agree," Jessica scowled. "Something about this mission smells to high heaven. What aren't you telling us, _Colonel_?" The emphasis on his rank screamed annoyance, and the Chief stared at her in what she probably guessed was surprise, but Ackerson merely looked troubled.

"ONI has issued orders regarding the planet. If the Covenant forces find out you're there, you're on your own. There'll be no rescue party, at least not until the UNSC comes to deal with any potential threats. As it is, you may not be able to get out of there at all."

Trying hard to ignore the Chief's burning stare, Jessica fixed her own eyes on the Colonel. "And you were going to tell us this when?"

"I wasn't. You didn't need to know, so it seemed unimportant." Ackerson frowned in concentration, before returning his gaze to the lieutenant and the Master Chief.

"Get your gear together. The _Athens_ will be leaving in three hours. You can figure out your plan of action then."

"Sir!" The Master Chief saluted and exited, pausing when he realized Hawkes wasn't with him. She just stood there, stiff and glaring.

"So that's it then? Nothing else you're withholding that may be pertinent to the mission?" Her voice sounded strained, tired.

"No, Lieutenant, nothing else. Now get going or you'll miss your flight." A trace of a smile flickered across his face.

"Sir!" Jessica saluted and left, slipping past the Chief in his armor. For a little while both walked along the corridor in silence, but when John turned to speak to the Lieutenant, she had disappeared.


	3. Chapter 2: On Their Way

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo. 

Chapter Two: On Their Way

The Chief felt the slight vibration as the Pelican docked with the prowler ship _Athens_, felt gravity settle in his gut. The ride from the surface had been rather uneventful, but unsettling. He'd had time to reflect on his briefing with Colonel Ackerson, and on the mysterious woman he'd introduced as his mission partner. He hadn't seen Hawkes since the briefing, and she hadn't boarded the Pelican either, which didn't bode well for the rest of the mission.

As he stepped off the dropship, he was greeted by a young Marine private, who swallowed nervously at the sight of the Spartan in his armor.

"Welcome aboard, Master Chief. The captain would like to see you on the bridge," he stated as calmly as he could. John nodded and followed the young man out of the landing bay. _Athens_ was a small ship for its class, but there was still plenty of space for a crew of about twenty-six.

"Cortana, analysis?" John asked the AI inside his helmet.

"The ship and crew have quite a few engagements under their belts. They seem to know what they're doing," Cortana replied. "Our missing lieutenant, however, is a different story. According to ONI, she's been demoted on several occasions, usually due to procedure violations. She's got top marks in stealth and reconnaissance, and excellent decryption skills, but from what I've seen no discipline. There are numerous reports of her entering unauthorized data files," a slight hesitation entered her voice before she continued, "including yours."

"Anything else I should know?"

"Just that she's Ackerson's protégé, for lack of a better term. He was the one who recommended her to ONI as a Special Operations Officer, and from what I understand he's been interceding on her behalf regarding some of these disciplinary actions. I recommend keeping an eye on her, _if_ she ever shows up."

"Understood." The Chief noticed he was approaching the bridge. Nodding to his escort, he stepped inside.

The bridge crew was busy: a navigations officer was checking their departure vectors, a weapons officer ran a diagnostic on the ships offensive capabilities. The captain stood at ease near the communications station, where a young blonde officer monitored incoming and outgoing communications traffic.

"We have clearance to depart whenever we're ready, sir," the young blonde reported.

"Excellent. Navigation, prepare to depart. Let's get going." The captain turned around and noticed the Chief standing at attention. "Welcome aboard, Master Chief. It's an honor to see you here. We're on course for what used to be the Outer Colonies."

The Chief nodded, a bit annoyed with the whole 'honor' bit. "How soon until we arrive?"

"About three days, I think. You'd have to ask the Lieutenant exactly." The captain smirked. "ONI gave us some new engine cores to help get us there faster. Hawkes tried explaining it, but we were both having trouble grasping the whole engineering concept."

"ONI keeps forgetting I'm a recon officer, not an engineer," a quiet, familiar voice spoke up from behind the Chief. Lieutenant Hawkes moved around to the front, hazel eyes holding an amused look. "According to what I can make of these specs, though, our arrival time should be cut in half, provided nothing goes wrong."

"Very good," the Chief nodded.

"I'll let the Lieutenant show you to your quarters, Chief. As soon as we reach the Outer Colonies I'll call you."

----

Jessica was careful to keep her face impassive as she saluted the captain, an old friend of Ackerson's. "This way, Master Chief." She led him through the corridors, having familiarized herself with the ship on a previous mission; Ackerson assigned the _Athens_ to be her staging are as often as he could. To a degree, it annoyed Jessica: she wasn't ungrateful, but she didn't want him to get into more trouble on her account. It was bad enough that he kept interceding with the review board on her behalf.

"How did you get here so quickly?" she heard the Chief ask her; it was the first time he'd spoken to her directly.

"I bummed a ride with the tech crews. They were going the same way, and I figured why waste more time? Besides, it didn't feel right…" she cut herself off abruptly, her face going a slight shade of crimson. "It didn't feel right to wait, since I'm the only one with a hope of explaining the new reactors to the officers." _Damn_, she swore softly, knowing how close she'd come to saying too much.

"ONI's assigned you this cabin, Master Chief," she said once she rounded the corner. "Everything should be satisfactory; Section III was very explicit in that regard." Jessica saw the Spartan turn his head; while she couldn't see his face, something told her that he was studying her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, taking the bull by the horns.

"Why were you assigned to this mission? Doesn't ONI have more capable field officers?" The tone of his question hurt, but Jessica forced herself to seem detached.

"Colonel Ackerson doesn't always tell me why he assigns me to a mission. I just do what I'm told, to a degree. As long as I can get the job done, I don't ask questions." She brought her chin up, trying to appear unconcerned. "If there's nothing else you need, I'll be on my way. There's a few things I want to take a look at regarding the mission." With that, Jessica turned and headed to her quarters. Hers at least were a good distance away from the Chief's, which would be a help; as much as she admired the man, proximity would be detrimental to the mission, which was a risk she refused to take.

----

Jessica eyed the unappealing mess in front of her; the rations onboard the _Athens_ left a lot to be desired. Granted, it wasn't the worst thing she'd ever eaten, but they could at least give the crews something better to eat once in a while. _Just shut up and eat, Hawkes_, she told herself, sticking her fork into the slop on her plate. The flavor was equally disgusting, and she had to force herself to swallow. Still, the meal had to have some nutritional value, since none of the crew had died yet.

A figure seated itself opposite her, holding another plate of the disgusting meal. Glancing up briefly, she noted close-cropped brown hair, dark eyes, and abnormally pale skin. Even though she couldn't swear to it, there was only one person who could even come close to matching that description.

"Master Chief," she nodded in his direction, forcing another bite of food into her mouth. Once again, it was all she could do not to gag.

"Lieutenant," he replied, digging into the mess on his plate. She noticed his almost mechanical detachment, and couldn't help but envy him. After forcing a third forkful down her throat, she stood up.

"If you'll excuse me," she said as she took her plate away. Even though she was still hungry, she couldn't force herself to eat anymore; the slop had completely killed her appetite. After disposing of the mess and dishes appropriately, she returned to her quarters, hoping to review the information ONI had provided. _And forward it to Cortana, if she doesn't have it already,_ she smiled to herself; the AI's code-cracking skills were legendary, and Jessica had no doubts as to her ability to get whatever she needed.

A few moments later, Jessica was seated at the computer terminal in her assigned quarters, eyes scanning the data in front of her. She had a hard time understanding the Forerunner reference that the Covenant included in their transmissions, but from what she could gather it was something important. _Something about an archive of some sort_, she thought. _But what kind of archive would we be dealing with?_ Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door.

"It's open," she called, only glancing up when she saw who was in the doorway. Her pulse rate skyrocketed, but she forced herself to remain calm. "What can I do for you, Master Chief?"

"We need to talk."

----

John watched as Hawkes' eyes widened in alarm; privately he wondered what could have her so worried. She tried to mask herself, but her brief moment of fear had given her away.

"Very well, Master Chief, say what's on your mind. Since we're going to be working together, we may as well clear the air right now. And no, you don't have to worry about protocol and all that."

"How much do you know about what's going on with the Covenant?" He asked the question directly, half expecting an evasion. What surprised him was her equally direct reply.

"As much as ONI knows, though naturally they didn't tell me everything. I had to do some hacking to get it, and when they find out I'm probably going to be disciplined again." A small smile pulled at the corners of her mouth, giving her a softened, more civil appearance. "I've duplicated my store of knowledge and forwarded it to Cortana, and hopefully she'll be able to make more sense out of it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I keep finding references to some sort of Forerunner archive that I can't make heads or tails of. Since she had embedded herself in Halo's mainframe at one point, maybe she'll be able to understand it." The lieutenant raised a hand, forestalling the Chief's next question. "Yes, I know about Halo. No, you don't want to know how I know."

"You read my file." It was a statement, not a question, and Hawkes flinched.

"Yes, I did. I make it a point to know who I'm dealing with on a mission, regardless of reputations. Though I have to say, in your case your reputation is well-deserved, yours and your compatriots'." Hawkes finally looked him in the eyes; John could see flecks of emerald green in her hazel gaze. "I'm sorry about them, I really am. If it's any consolation, so is a good chunk of ONI's upper echelon, whether they'll admit it or not."

"Including Colonel Ackerson?" John heard his words come out bitterly; Hawkes's hazel eyes narrowed in what was either annoyance or anger.

"Colonel Ackerson is a good man, even if a few of his ideas are…unfounded. He used to be on the front lines at one point, and part of him still thinks the traditional military is the only military. I happen to disagree with him on that score, but I know he's a good man." She scowled, bringing to mind the image of a cornered predator. "And if you have anything to say about the Colonel that isn't professional, I'll thank you to get out of my quarters."

For a moment John was take aback: her support of the Colonel was genuine, as was her anger for the Chief's doubting him. Why, though? It didn't square with anything he'd ever come across in the past.

"Is there anything else you need, Master Chief?" Hawkes asked, her tone more clipped than usual.

"Nothing else, ma'am." He watched Hawkes roll her eyes.

"Please, don't call me 'ma'am'. Hawkes will work just as well. I hate standing on ceremony." She stood up and came around her desk, leaning against it; for some reason John noticed how her uniform hugged her slender body. "We have two and a half days before we reach our destination. I recommend you get some rest, and then we'll continue working on the mission plans.

"Oh, and just so you know, I do know how to use a weapon. You won't be needing to hold my hand once we hit planetside."

"Ma'am," the Chief saluted, and turned to exit the door. Hawkes muttered something to herself, but his sharpened hearing picked it up quite clearly.

_"Even though I wouldn't mind you holding my hand that much."_


	4. Chapter 3: Tensions Run High

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo. 

Chapter Three: Tensions Run High

Jessica was restless: according to her chronometer it was only 0400 hours, but she felt alert and ready for the day. _Weird, very weird_, she thought as she slipped out of bed. It was still much too early for her to be even thinking about leaving her quarters, and she had a lot of energy to burn, so she decided to do something about it. Moving to the center of her cabin, she stood still and bowed at the waist.

----

The Master Chief woke up, stretched, and glanced at the wall chronometer: 0425 hours. Much too early for most people to be awake, but more than normal for a Spartan; they were used to waking up and moving about at odd times of the day. Throwing back his blankets, he pulled on a uniform and stopped short: his augmented hearing caught what sounded like combat down the hall. Grabbing an M6D sidearm, he exited his quarters and followed the sounds to the last place he would have expected: Lieutenant's Hawkes' cabin. When a soft cry came from the other side of the door, John barged in expecting blood and multiple opponents.

What he saw was completely different, and he had no idea how to handle it.

Hawkes was engaged in hand-to-hand combat exercises, but she was the only one in the room. Her motions were fluid and precise, she blocked and kicked with a grace only a Spartan could have. Long legs struck out at empty air, a hand lashed out in an open strike, and a roundhouse kick finished the exercise. Having come back to the center of the cabin, Hawkes bowed at the waist, then started in surprise when she saw she wasn't alone.

For a moment, neither one could find words: Hawkes was surprised by his appearance in her cabin, John was surprised by the officer in front of him. Small black shorts hugged toned thighs, a black sleeveless top clung to her upper body. A sheen of sweat glistened in the overhead lighting, her face was flushed from exertion, and waves of brown hair fell halfway down her back.

She was magnificent.

"Is something wrong, Master Chief?" Hawkes panted slightly, wiping sweat from her forehead. A few strands of brown hair clung to her neck, and John had to force himself to not brush them away. _Why am I even thinking like this?_ He had no idea what was happening, and truth be told it worried him a little.

"I thought you were being attacked," he began, but stopped when Hawkes let out a soft laugh.

"My apologies, Chief. I probably should have warned you, but in all honesty I thought you'd be still asleep, and I'd forgotten about your sharp ears." She shrugged apologetically. "I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd get a little workout in."

"Workout?"

"Shadowboxing. I trained in ancient martial arts when I was younger, and this was how I practiced. I still shadowbox from time to time when I need to unwind." Hawkes paused and brushed a long strand of brown hair behind her ear before pulling out a clean uniform.

"If you'll excuse me, Chief, I need to get dressed." John nodded and exited the room, all the while wondering why part of him was tempted to disobey orders and stay behind.

----

_That was awkward_, Jessica thought as she watched the Chief leave her cabin. She had completely forgotten about the Spartan's enhanced hearing, and had been surprised to see him standing there after her workout. And there was a look in his eyes that she'd almost missed: a combination of confusion and something else, something she didn't want to name at first. _Think about it later, Hawkes_, she chastised mentally as she dressed. She'd left her hair loose for her workout, and found herself tying it back into a loose ponytail rather than her usual braid. Why she wasn't being more precise as to her dressing puzzled her; she had a system of dressing and cleaning which she never let on about and never varied. The fact that she was deviating from the norm bugged her, but she pushed her worries to the back of her mind.

Opening the door, she found herself once again facing the Master Chief. He was still not in his armor, and Jessica found herself sneaking admiring glances at the man when he wasn't looking too closely. _Stop it, Hawkes!_ She had no time for indulging in fantasies today—they only had one more day before they disembarked from the _Athens_, and she needed to be preparing for the mission, not mooning over a man she couldn't have, even if he was interested. And everyone knew that Spartans weren't interested in romantic relationships.

----

"Why is your hair so long?" The question surprised both Hawkes and the Chief; John knew they were supposed to be going over the data on the planet ONI had codenamed OLYMPUS. Hawkes merely shrugged.

"I'm an undercover operative, which usually requires that I blend in. Military haircuts make you stand out, especially among rebels, so I left my hair long. I kinda like it that way, and I always tie it back when I'm not undercover or off-duty, so ONI can't complain." She absentmindedly tugged the end of her ponytail as she studied the readouts. "Looks like it'll be Brutes and Jackals down there. That'll make things tricky, but maybe we can pull it off."

"Have you ever gone up against a Brute, Lieutenant?" John frowned, noticing the lieutenant's suddenly troubled look.

"No. Colonel Ackerson refused to send me scouting out the Covenant, even though I'm more than ready. I trained against them in simulators, but that's really no substitute." She scowled. "He keeps trying to protect me, even though he knows damn well I can take care of myself."

"Somehow I don't see how he would protect you, or why. Unless you're a favorite of his."

Hawkes glared at him and moved forward; most people were intimidated by a Spartan, but she didn't back down, not even when they were only inches apart. John stood almost two feet taller than the lieutenant, but she still glared angrily at him, and when she spoke, there was a veiled threat in her words.

"He saved my dad's life," she murmured angrily, her tone of voice cutting and dangerous. "He saved Dad's life, and he's helped look after me since I was just a kid. And whether you like it or not I expect you to accept it.

"You want to know why he sent me on this mission? He's giving me another chance at proving myself to the rest of ONI's brass, they were going to send me packing after my last op. That, and the fact that I read your file on the sly, made him choose me, and that's why we got one of his ships. He wants us to pull this one off, and I fully intend to with or without your help."

"Then why send me along?" Hawkes smirked angrily; a slight against the man who'd helped raise her really ticked her off.

"Because he knows that if I'm paired with you I'll have a better chance of making it out alive. Which means he has no intention of sabotaging this mission to make you look bad. He wouldn't dare try and pull a fast one like he did on Reach. Not with me here as well." Still glaring at him, Hawkes exited the room.


	5. Chapter 4: Revelations

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo. 

Chapter Four: Revelations

John entered the commissary just in time for lunch, or at least what passed as lunch for the crew of the _Athens_. The rations barely qualified as edible, but years of training and eating such slop had forced him to become accustomed to the food. Over time he'd learned to detach himself from physical discomforts as well, which helped him considerably when he felt the urge to retch at mealtimes.

The rations were a bit better today, but not by much; how the UNSC could make chicken stew look unappetizing was something John didn't care to contemplate. _Regardless, you need to eat_, he reminded himself. Sitting down at an empty table, he began shoveling the meal into his mouth—better to get it over with before he actually did decide to throw up.

A motion in the doorway of the commissary brought John's head up slightly: Lieutenant Hawkes had entered the room and was even now making her way to the lunch lines. He swore he noticed a grim look on her face when she glanced at the rations, but it was masked as quickly as it had appeared. Once her plate had been filled with more of the unappetizing meal, she scanned the room before moving to an empty table in a deserted corner of the room; producing a datapad from her pocket, she began to eat with one hand and peruse the pad, occasionally touching controls to scroll through whatever she was reading.

John found himself watching the lieutenant, noting how a few strands of brown hair were falling forward over one eye and how she'd absentmindedly brush them behind her ear. He saw the look of disgust as she forced another mouthful of food into her mouth and chewed. Her eyes, the green flecks noticeable even form his distance, scanned the pad rapidly, and the expression of concentration on her face captivated him.

Hawkes had chosen to eat alone, but the Chief wondered why; while he and his fellow Spartans hadn't exactly been welcomed among the other Marines, they'd always made sure they were together whenever possible. Hawkes had the advantage here, she was among fellows, so he was puzzled as to why she didn't seek their company. _Well, then ask her!_ The thought surprised him, but he decided to listen to it. His instincts were seldom wrong, and right now they were urging him to get some answers.

Picking up the remains of his meal, John stood up and headed towards her table.

"Mind if I join you, Lieutenant?"

----

Jessica looked up from the datapad to see a pair of dark brown eyes, eyes that were regarding her somewhat curiously. She couldn't help the surprised gasp that came out of her throat. _I didn't even hear him coming! How did that happen?_

"I wasn't aware that Spartans were sociable people," she replied, "but if you don't mind my silence you can sit." Gesturing to an empty chair, she was quite surprised to see him sit down. Glancing back at her pad, she continued to peruse the information relayed by various scout ships. OLYMPUS was still heavily guarded, but there was a blind spot in their patrol patterns that they _might_ be able to exploit, if they were careful. _I'll have to show Cortana, see what she thinks_.

"What are you working on?" The Chief's gravelly voice broke in through her thoughts.

"One of ONI's scout ships just sent in a report. They found a blind spot in Covenant patrol patterns that might give us an extra edge. I wanted to take a look at the data as soon as I could." Jessica chuckled dryly. "I was also hoping it would distract me enough to be able to eat. Unfortunately, it didn't work."

"The food isn't the best I've eaten," the Chief agreed, a small smirk on his face. "I learned to deal with it during training, though."

"I noticed. There are times when I envy you and your iron constitution." Jessica pushed her still-full plate away, her appetite having been killed once again.

"You should eat more," the gravelly tones prompted, causing Jessica to glance at the Spartan in annoyance.

"If I tried to eat more, I'd wind up in the med bays. I'll need to have a word with ONI—how they expect the crew to function on this slop is beyond me." _Probably thinks I'm being selfish, but this is the third mission where I've gotten this kind of garbage along with the rest of the crew._ Jessica made a mental note to search the commissary when she got back form the mission to OLYMPUS: if there was better food back there, she wanted to know why none of it was ever given to the crew.

_In the meantime, though, I'd better keep working on the mission. We can't afford to screw up on this one._ Picking up her plate, she nodded to the Master Chief. "I'll be in my cabin working on mission strategies if you need me. Good day, Master Chief."

"John." The muttered word stopped her, and she turned in mild surprise.

"Come again?"

"My name is John." _Why's he telling me this? Especially when he knows I've read his file?_ Surprisingly, she found herself responding in a similar fashion.

"Jessica."

An awkward silence filled the air, and Jessica made the most of her opportunity to dispose of her dishes and exit the room. True, she went about it in a rude way, but she was so embarrassed she couldn't think straight. _I told him my name! What the hell was I thinking? I can't afford to be doing this now!_ She was thankful that this had been her only slipup…wait…

"_Even though I wouldn't mind you holding my hand that much."_

The words she'd thought the other day echoed clearly in her mind, and she realized in horror that she'd whispered them aloud. And because of his augmentations, the Chief would have heard her clearly. Jessica sat down heavily on the edge of her bunk and buried her face in her hands. _Oh no. What have I done?_

----

_Jessica Hawkes_, John mused as he ran the name through his head. It seemed to fit her somehow, and definitely sounded more pleasant than Lieutenant Hawkes. He found himself liking the name, and liking the person that went with it. She was definitely more than the ONI spook she seemed, and part of him wondered how much of it was an act to throw people off. Underneath her fiery, non-conforming exterior was a cool head and a sharp mind. The fact that she was able to rework a plan that didn't fit the situation at hand was testament to her abilities.

_What am I doing? I shouldn't be thinking like this!_ He was admiring someone who worked for ONI, for Ackerson no less! Instead of thinking about the mission, John was busy thinking about Lieutenant Hawkes' effect on him. This was bad news. _I have to focus on the mission. _He tried to keep from thinking about her emerald-flecked hazel eyes, her river of long brown hair, her slender figure, her unique personality…_Ah damn!_


	6. Chapter 5: Showtime

Hoefully I got the parts about the new gear to sound ok. If not, well, I tried. Enjoy! Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo. 

Chapter Five: Showtime

Groaning, Jessica rolled out of bed—literally. The jarring thud as she impacted on the deck brought her fully awake, and she scrambled to her feet looking for a fight. _You're getting jittery, Hawkes_, she chastised mentally when she realized she was alone. Shaking her head, brown hair flying in all directions, she walked to the closet looking for a uniform or somesuch that she could wear. Pausing as her fingers brushed the ONI uniform, she remembered the mission and grabbed a blacksuit.

This particular one was a special model, issued specifically for this mission: ONI's scientists had managed to increase the armor capacity in the polymers and loosen the fit to allow for increased mobility. The fabric also had some sort of refractive material woven in to disperse plasma shots, in an attempt to decrease fatalities from Covenant plasma weaponry; the dispersed energy would then provide power to the suits various functions, which now included a minor shield generator. All this was, of course, entirely theoretical: the suit had yet to be 'officially' tested. _Simulator runs are all well and good, but it's time for some more practical work. And that's where I come in._ Ackerson had made sure she would test the new suit; while it wasn't in the same category as Mjolnir armor, it would give her an edge in dealing with the Covenant that she ordinarily wouldn't have had.

Thinking about the Mjolnir armor brought her mind back to the Master Chief: why had he told her his name? Was this a sign of trust on his part? How could he trust her, especially since she had Ackerson on her side? _No time for questions, Hawkes. You have a job to do._ Shaking her head, she dressed, pulled her hair back, and exited the cabin.

----

"Master Chief," a voice hailed him form across the hanger bay. John turned away from the small ship to find Hawkes striding toward him with a small duffel bag in her hand. Long legs clad all in black brought the woman nearer, and he had to force himself to focus. _Somehow, she makes a blacksuit look good._ The thought had barely passed through his head when he realized exactly what it had been.

"Careful, Chief, we still don't know if we can trust her," Cortana warned from inside his helmet.

"She's given us no reason not to," he replied, fighting the urge to say more in Hawkes' defense. He sensed Cortana thinking this over as Hawkes stopped next to them.

"Admiring the _Shadowstalker_?" _Her voice is so pleasant to hear… focus, John!_ The Chief forced his unusual thoughts aside and answered the question. "I've never seen a fighter like this before."

"That's because it's not official yet. We get to test _Shadow_ out. She's designed for planetary infiltration: a single person or a small group can land her on a planet's surface and get the job done. _Shadow_ also has the same plating as one of ONI's prowlers—she's a stealth fighter."

"I saw the plans, but I had no idea they were this close to complete," Cortana's voice echoed from the Chief's external speakers; John sighed in mild annoyance while Hawkes' simply stood there.

"Colonel Ackerson had this one finished first and loaded onto the _Athens_ almost as soon as it rolled off the line. She's barely a week old." Hawkes shouldered her bag and moved closer to the ramp. "Now then, shall we get going?"

----

"_Shadowstalker_ to _Athens_, we're ready to depart at any point in time."

"Roger that, _Shadowstalker_. Give 'em hell, and come back in one piece."

"Can't make any promises on that one, but I'll see what we can do." Jessica maneuvered the small fighter-like craft out of the _Athens'_ hanger bay and through the various masses of Covenant craft. Keeping in mind the data brought in from the scout ships, she steered the little craft through the more deserted areas of the Covenant patrols. _This is a little creepy_ she thought as a Phantom-class dropship passed right behind them.

"Would you prefer me to take over?" Cortana asked pointedly; even inside the Chief's helmet she could tell the lieutenant was uneasy.

"If you can get in the ship's systems quickly, yes," Jessica replied, her voice thick with concentration. She barely noticed a green-armored hand when it slipped something into a data port, but knew exactly when Cortana took over the ships controls. "Thanks. I was never much of a pilot."

"You were doing a decent job from where we were sitting," Cortana replied as she materialized on the holopad at Jessica's elbow.

"I'll take your word for it," she muttered as she got out of the pilot's chair. Floating aft to the weapons locker, she retrieved her duffel bag and pushed off, returning to the chair. Spinning around with a grace the Chief could only envy, she positioned herself above the seat and pushed off from the ceiling, grabbed the arms of the chair, and awkwardly strapped herself in.

"How soon until we hit planetside?" John asked, his gravelly voice startling the lieutenant a bit.

"About ten minutes." Opening her duffel bag, Jessica pulled out a web-harness and a pair of holstered sub-machineguns. Strapping the SMGs to her hips, she buckled the harness around her waist and made sure the M6D sidearm was in working order. A small pouch with extra ammunition was slung over her shoulder. As she secured the web-harness, Jessica glanced up to see the Chief regarding her with what she assumed was curiosity.

"As I said before, Master Chief, I know how to handle a weapon. You won't need to baby-sit me overly much." She finished securing her weaponry and settled into her char as best she could.

"I have to ask, Lieutenant," Cortana voiced, "why ONI was concerned about our getting back if we have this fighter."

A trace of apprehension flickered across Jessica's face. "ONI probably figures that once the Covies find out we're planetside, they're probably going to look for a ship. And once they do, they'll destroy it and come looking for us."

"We can't allow them to gain access to our technology," John interjected. "The Cole Protocol—"

"Will be followed," Jessica interrupted. "I've got it all worked out, so there's no need to worry. Just stick to the mission briefs as best we can, get what we need, and then we'll worry about getting out."

The conversation was interrupted when the fighter entered the planet's atmosphere. Jessica held her breath, wondering if the simulations they'd run on this fighter would turn out to be true. After what seemed like an eternity, the small stealth ship had passed through the fiery gauntlet and landed in a secluded area. She moved to the weapons locker, grabbed a battle rifle, and glanced at the Chief.

"Showtime."


	7. Chapter 6: Deadly Approach

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo. 

Chapter Six: Deadly Approach

"_I have to ask, Lieutenant," Cortana voiced, "why ONI was concerned about our getting back if we have this fighter."_

_A trace of apprehension flickered across Jessica's face. "ONI probably figures that once the Covies find out we're planetside, they're probably going to look for a ship. And once they do, they'll destroy it and come looking for us."_

_"We can't allow them to gain access to our technology," John interjected. "The Cole Protocol—"_

_"Will be followed," Jessica interrupted. "I've got it all worked out, so there's no need to worry. Just stick to the mission briefs as best we can, get what we need, and then we'll worry about getting out."_

_The conversation was interrupted when the fighter entered the planet's atmosphere. Jessica held her breath, wondering if the simulations they'd run on this fighter would turn out to be true. After what seemed like an eternity, the small stealth ship had passed through the fiery gauntlet and landed in a secluded area. She moved to the weapons locker, grabbed a battle rifle, and glanced at the Chief._

_"Showtime."_

Jessica took one final look around the ship, making sure nothing had been left behind that they might need. They'd grabbed first aid kits, weapons and ammunition, grenades, and a palm-sized datapad in case she needed to infiltrate; she'd also rigged up the fail-safe ONI had designed for the craft--if the Covenant were to discover it, she could remotely trigger a self-destruct sequence. _We're as ready as we're going to be_, she thought, following the Chief out of the fighter; one of the first things that hit her was the large amount of trees and brush, perfect for camouflaging the ship and providing cover as they did their snooping. _That doesn't mean there won't be patrols, though. _Hopefully, they'd landed in a secluded enough area that Covenant patrol wouldn't find their ship until after they left—if they left at all. Brushing aside her own worries, Jessica readied herself mentally as the Chief took the lead, moving effortlessly through the overgrown vegetation. Cortana was acting as both a scout and a navigator, slicing into the Covenant battlenet while she moved them closer to the installation they were to investigate.

"So far our presence hasn't been detected," Cortana's voice echoed in her ear. "Though I am picking up an increased number of transmissions among the Covenant battlegroup."

"Anything worth investigating?" she whispered back; for some reason she felt the need to keep her voice down to a minimum, even though no one else was using her com channel.

"Nothing yet, but I'll keep my ears open." After a few minutes of marching in silence, Cortana spoke again. "There's some sort of structure up ahead."

"I'll check it out." Moving up past the Chief, Jessica slipped into the surrounding brush they'd been using as cover. Within a few seconds she'd all but disappeared.

----

John felt his jaw drop as he watched Hawkes disappear into the surrounding foliage. _How did she do that?_ She'd barely made a sound as she'd moved the brush aside, and the only indication of her departure had been his motion sensors and her heat signature.

"Chief, Cortana?" a soft whisper broke into his thoughts.

"Lieutenant?" he replied, wondering what she'd found.

"I think I've found that structure, and it's crawling with Covenant soldiers. They look like they're using it as a barracks or a command post." There was a pause, and then she whispered, "I think that structure's our target."

"How many can you estimate?" Cortana beat him to the question.

"I don't think I even want to attempt it. There's definitely a lot of them, though. Care for a look?" Within minutes a video feed had been patched to John's helmet, and he saw exactly what Hawkes was referring to. The structure in question definitely resembled many of the Forerunner buildings he'd seen on Halo, but his attention was quickly drawn by the building's defenses.

Brutes were stationed at every entrance, armed to the teeth and more than able to take them down. Jackals were stationed there as well, some mounted on defensive turrets while others milled about doing various tasks. The sky was abuzz with Drones, and there seemed to be no way in. John had seen these types of forces before, on the _High Charity_ shortly before he tried to retrieve the Index, and he'd survived them easily enough.

"New contacts coming in, about nine o'clock relative to the structure," Hawkes reported in. "Looks like a patrol group, two Brutes and five Jackals."

"Roger that," John acknowledged. "What's our plan?"

"You're asking me? I'm just the scout, Chief."

This surprised him: she was the ranking officer on this mission, and for her to defer a decision to him was unexpected, to say the least. "Okay, get back here then and we'll decide what to do."

"Will do." The video feed was killed instantly, and in a matter of seconds Hawkes emerged silently from the overgrowth. She'd donned a helmet for her blacksuit before she'd left the ship, which made it hard to read her expression, but her body language belied her concern.

"I'm not going to mince words: those troops stand between us and our objective. Any ideas on getting past them would be greatly appreciated."

"If there's one thing I've learned about Brutes from previous engagements, it's that they're not strategically inclined. They'll rush right into a fight, which could give a quick thinker an advantage. But they make up for it with animalistic tendencies and brute strength." John swore he saw Hawkes flinch, but she masked it quickly.

"I'd say the Jackals might be a problem as well," she supplied. "Based on some of the mission reports I've seen, they're good marksmen. And once they spot a target, it's goodbye for all concerned. What about the Drones?"

"Hard to hit from the air, not too bright but they're determined."

"Cortana, any ideas?" Hawkes muttered. She seemed…edgy was probably the best word to describe it. It took a moment for the Chief to remember she'd seen little or no combat against the Covenant. _How long before she cracks?_ The thought passed through his mind, but was almost quickly replaced by a resolve to keep her in one piece. He tried to rationalize it away as relating to the mission, protecting a valuable and critical part of the assignment.

"I could cut into their battlenet and redirect more of their forces on patrol, but it would increase our chances of discovery," Cortana's voice was a welcome interruption of his odd thoughts. "Plus, it could also lead to the discovery of our ship, and our only ticket out of here."

"The longer we sit and do nothing, the higher our chances of discovery get, and the more difficult it'll be to get this job done. Any thoughts, Master Chief?" Hawkes looked at him, face unreadable through her helmet.

Recalling the large amount of Covenant forces Hawkes had seen, John wondered whether or not they could use the terrain to their advantage. "Lieutenant, do you think you might be able to lure them here?"

There was silence for a moment, then Hawkes took a deep breath. "I can try."

----

_Am I really this insane?_ Jessica wondered as she slipped closer to the tower. _What the hell was I thinking? I'll be killed!_ The Chief wanted her to _lure_ the Covenant back to where they had halted—he was only going to get them both killed!

Forcing herself to calm down, Jessica realized she had to trust him. He had far more experience in dealing with the Covenant, which was why she planned on deferring to him when it came to offensive attacks._ If I can't trust a partner with experience, who can I trust? No one._ Her life and the success of her mission were in his hands as well as her own, no getting around it.

There they were, standing around on guard duty. The Brutes were ugly SOBs, but she had no doubt that they had some semblance of intelligence. The Drones, from what the Chief had described, wouldn't be much of a bother if they couldn't see her. What really worried her were the Jackals: she'd heard about their accuracy with beam rifles, and hacked enough mission records to prove the stories true. If they caught her here…_They will if you keep thinking about it, Hawkes_, she thought. Finding a relatively concealed area, she opened a COM channel to the Master Chief.

"I'm in position."

"We're set here. Bring them in."

Jessica held her breath as she raised the rifle to her shoulder. _Here goes nothing._

----

The report of a battle rifle echoed through the silence, followed by a loud angry roar. A well-concealed Master Chief nodded in satisfaction.

"Looks like she has their attention."

"Do you think your plan will work?" Cortana asked.

"It'll work, as long as Hawkes can get them here." _And as long as she keeps herself in one piece long enough_, he thought.

----

They were right behind her, she could hear them thundering after her. The only advantage she had was her smaller frame and her head start. _Only a little further_, she thought to herself. _Come on!_ She was running out of breath when she reached the rendezvous, and from the sounds of things she was running out of time.

"Hawkes!" The loud, urgent whisper came from above, and she noticed the Master Chief concealed in a tree. Nodding comprehension, she gripped a low-hanging branch and swung upwards, just in time. A Brute tore into the area on all fours, nearly spotting her as she climbed upwards. Jessica noticed the blood leaking out of a few holes in his shoulder. _I did hit him_, she realized.

She was nearing the branch where the Chief was perched. He nodded acknowledgement to her, then returned to watching the Covenant forces gathering nearby. She'd definitely irritated them, as more Brutes and a scattering of Jackals entered the area. One of them appeared to be sniffing. Wait…_sniffing!?!?_ Belatedly she remembered that some races in the Covenant could discern scents that belonged to different races, in a way similar to a dog or a wolf. _Did they catch my scent? Could they find me?_

A thunderous explosion sounded underneath her, shaking the tree and causing her grip on the branches to loosen. As tired as her run had left her—she'd expended a good deal of strength to keep ahead of the Brutes—she wasn't able to get a better grip. Jessica felt herself falling, but an armored hand gripped her wrist and held her in place.

"Thanks, Chief," she whispered, wondering if he even heard. A nod confirmed that he had, but there was no time for pleasantries: raising their rifles, both of them rained fire on the surviving Covenant.

----

"Nice trick with the grenades," Hawkes nodded in approval as she nudged a smoking Jackal with her foot. "I just hope you didn't use our entire supply."

"No, just half of it," John replied. It had, in fact, cost them half of their grenades, but they'd be able to make use of the now-dead Brutes' weaponry, which included quite a few plasma grenades. "We can use these just as well."

"Next question: how do we get into the facility?" Hawkes was staring at him through his faceplate, apparently looking for leadership. To a degree he could understand that, but it was unsettling to be asked for advice on a stealth op by a stealth specialist.

"First let's see how much opposition is left." John paused a moment before looking at the lieutenant again. "Good job getting as many to follow you as you did."

"Thanks, Chief." Hawkes turned to lead the way to the structure, and didn't here his response.

"You're welcome…Jessica."


	8. Chapter 7: Bittersweet Success

New chapter up! Yes, I know I kinda ignored the battle scene between the Chief and the Covenant, but I have a hard time with those. Enjoy! 

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.

Chapter Seven: Bittersweet Success

Hawkes led him back to a structure by a different route: it seemed plausible that more Covenant would be on their way through the path she had originally taken, especially if they'd heard the grenades go off. John hoped the aliens hadn't sent out multiple scouting parties, because if they had then all bets were off. The two made almost no noise as they slipped through the brush, and he found himself wondering a bit about Hawkes again. The mysterious lieutenant had a knack for stealth, and had demonstrated remarkable control when thrown into a terrifying situation. She'd kept her head, barely, but she'd done what needed to be done.

The 'she' in question raised a hand in warning: they were approaching the tower. Peering through the undergrowth, he saw a few less Covenant forces than there had been. More patrols were being ordered out, and if they waited long enough there might be a way in.

"The Covenant are scrambling, Chief," Cortana commented in his helmet. "Between Hawkes acting as bait and your ambush, they're definitely on the alert. I'm picking up orders for more troop deployments and increased patrols." The Chief frowned.

"Hawkes, we might have a problem." He relayed the information Cortana had picked up.

"Shit." The obscenity surprised him a bit, but then again, the lieutenant had a penchant for doing that. "They're going to find us in no time like that, us or the ship, or both." She was silent for a moment, but her next question was directed to Cortana.

"Cortana, do you know about the failsafe option for the _Shadowstalker_?"

"A remote signaling device triggering an auto-destruct sequence pre-set by the pilot. Why do you--?" The AI paused for a full minute when she realized what Hawkes was suggesting. John himself was surprised, and more than a little bothered.

"You're seriously considering destroying our ticket out of here?" he asked, disbelief clear in his voice.

"We don't have a lot of tactical options, Chief. As you said yourself, the Cole protocol is clear. And with the increase in Covenant patrols, it's only a matter of time before it's discovered. If I trigger the destruct sequence we could draw more of them away and find a way in the tower." It was hard to tell, but the ONI operative seemed bothered by that fact.

"And how will we inform the UNSC when it's safe to strike?" Cortana posed.

"The Covenant have to have a communications post set up somewhere. I've done a lot of research into their language and technology, as much as we have anyway. I might be able to send a burst transmission using their gear." Her helmeted her turned towards the direction the _Shadowstalker_ was in. "I don't know what other options we have."

----

An explosion echoed through the stillness, and a column of fire and smoke rose above the treeline. A large grey Brute looked on in surprise and shock, as well as mild disappointment. This disturbance could not have come at a worse time: his patrols were spread thin and a number of his units had been decimated earlier by some lower life form. Reinforcements were en route, but wouldn't be arriving for a couple of hours. Still, he was confident that a single garrison would be enough to guard the Holy Monument.

"Send out all but a unit of our best soldiers," he growled to a lower Brute. "We are going to investigate this explosion, and perhaps find the parties responsible. Perhaps there will be fresh meat in the aftermath, seared to perfection." The other alien grinned, showing teeth, and began to do as he had been ordered.

----

Jessica watched as the dropships took off, feeling the deathly calm in her gut that signaled mission readiness. _Yes_, she breathed before turning to the Chief.

"I should probably go on from here alone. I can draw less attention."

"And just how are you going to combat a Brute or a Jackal if you're spotted?" he replied.

"I won't be spotted. Just wait for me to get back." Taking a deep breath, Jessica ventured off through the undergrowth. Fortunately it grew almost to the tower, but after that she'd be exposed, unless she could keep to the shadows.

----

John scowled inside his helmet, which in itself was unusual.

It wasn't like him to stand by and do nothing while a member of his team went on alone, even if that member was an ONI spook. Truth be told, he was also worried that Hawkes wouldn't make it out alive. _Why does it even matter to you?_ a little voice asked.

_I always bring my team back alive._

_Is that all, or is it something else? Admit it, you can't stop thinking about her, especially not after you walked in on her workout!_

He squelched the nagging little voice in his head with some difficulty; it bothered him that there might be more to his worry over the ONI operative.

"Cortana?"

"Yes, Chief?" Cortana seemed annoyed, and slightly bored.

"Do they know Hawkes is inside?"

"I haven't heard anything yet, but that could mean anything." She paused a moment. "Why do you ask?"

"Because for the first time in my life I'm thinking about disobeying orders." He could almost sense Cortana's excitement.

"Technically, she didn't order you to stay here, she just asked for us to wait. And in any case, Ackerson would probably _owe_ us for bringing her back alive."

"Then let's go," John said firmly as he brought up his rifle.

"I assume you have a plan that won't get us killed?"

"Of course."

"Oh good, that's always nice to know," Cortana said; she seemed eager to cause some havoc.

----

Jessica slipped in amongst the shadows, employing all her training at stealth to the fullest. Oddly enough, she didn't feel as terrified as she had expected; instead, she felt a strange sort of calm, as if all the events of her life had been leading up to this. It wasn't something she'd thought would happen, but she'd use the small advantage as best she could.

A Jackal sniffed in front of her, and Jessica froze. The smaller alien moved forward, and she waited in the shadows. _Come on, creepling. Just a little closer…_ Her arm shot out, wrapped itself around the Jackal's neck, and twisted. Thankfully, the alien made no noise when she broke its neck. Dropping the dead Jackal, she dragged it out of sight behind a cargo module, making sure to police its weapons and arm-shield. _I might be able to use these, if things get bad_. An open entryway beckoned to her, and she slipped inside the shadowy building.

This was almost too easy: there were no guards anywhere on the premises. _Something's gonna go wrong, this isn't supposed to be so easy_. Still, she met no opposition, but made extremely sure to keep herself as unseen as humanely possible. And yet, Jessica was still having minor difficulty: she was lost. Deciding to risk discovery, she opened a COM channel.

"Cortana, can you tell me how close I am to this archive?"

"You're nearly there. Just a few more meters and there'll be a room on your right." Jessica found the room, and froze as soon as she entered.

It was immense. Holographic projectors emitted pictures of planets, stars and suns. Landscapes and seascapes flickered in and out of sight, grasses alternated with rivers and deserts, and day cycled to night and back again. It was breathtaking, there was really no other way to describe it. Jessica paused a moment to make sure her camera was recording this: it was.

There were no shadows to keep to here: she would be completely exposed. All Jessica could hope for was a lack of cameras and the personnel that would normally be watching her. _I need to find a control center, or something like it. What kind of archive doesn't have a catalog of all the stored information?_

At the center of the room was some sort of control panel, only the controls themselves hovered about a meter above it. Jessica had no idea which control did what, and figured that it would be best to leave well enough alone. _ONI can try to figure it out later. I don't want to risk corrupting any data before they arrive._ Looking back regretfully at the control panel, she moved back through the maze of scenes from another era and back to the entrance; there was a communications center to find.

She had just made it to a shadowy alcove when the alarms went off.

"Cortana," she asked as calmly as she could. "What the hell is going on?"

----

John moved within clear sight of the remaining guards, calmer than nearly anything in this universe. This was what he did best: he was an offensive weapon, not a statue. Hawkes may have been able to get in the building, at least according to Cortana she had, but she would need help getting out, and would probably need help getting to the communications center and sending the message to the UNSC. The least he could do was provide a distraction.

The first target came into view: a group of Jackals facing the explosion site. He spared a few thoughts for the flaming ONI fighter before he opened fire. The Jackals never had time to react, but someone had heard the gunfire. Alarms started going off, and the remaining forces came right for him.

_"Cortana, what the hell is going on?"_ Hawkes' voice came through deceptively calm.

"We figured you could use some cover," the AI replied smoothly over the sound of gunfire. John was almost relieved to hear Hawkes' voice was still alive, but uneasy with her next words.

_"I thought I told you to stay put, but as long as you're here you might as well meet me at the communications center."_ There was a pause, and then she continued, _"Make sure you both get here in one piece."_

"We'll be there." Cortana killed the COM channel. "She's not too happy with us right now."

"I'll deal with that later. Right now we need to get to her position, before the Covenant do."

----

Jessica couldn't help but feel relieved when the Chief entered the room, assault rifle still smoking. Still, she scowled inside her helmet at the sight of his still-smoking battle rifle.

"I seem to recall ordering you to stay where you were, Master Chief."

"And I seem to recall Ackerson wanting you back alive."

"Can we deal with this later?" Cortana broke in before the argument went any further. "We need to send a message to the UNSC."

"Fine." Jessica turned her attention back to the controls. "It'll have to be a voice message, and I need to be the one to send it, or else ONI might think it's a trick."

"Get me into the system and I'll take care of the rest."

Jessica nodded, watching as the Chief pulled a data chip out of his helmet and inserted it into the Covenant equivalent of a data port. After a few seconds, Cortana's voice spoke, "Go ahead."

"This is RedHawk calling the UNSC _Athens_. Covenant stronghold OLYMPUS has been infiltrated. Forces consist of non-allied Covenant forces. Extensive Forerunner archive located at these transmission coordinates. No casualties yet, but _Shadowstalker_ has been neutralized. Expect heavy resistance if ground attacks are launched. Dropping out of contact, expect no further reports. RedHawk out."

"Message sent. Do you think they'll come?" Cortana asked.

"Yes, if only because of the Forerunner archives. That thing's huge." Jessica waited until Cortana's chip was safely back inside the Chief's helmet before hefting her captured Covenant gear. "Let's get the hell out of here while we still can."

----

John had to admire the resourceful young ONI lieutenant: she adapted well to her captured Covenant arms, and used her shield as effectively as possible. For a non-Spartan, especially one who'd never gone up against the Covenant, she was fast and deadly with her aim. There had been an increase in Covenant forces since they'd entered the structure, but he'd been able to neutralize a large amount of them.

Hawkes was falling behind, apparently tired from trying to keep up. As short as they were on time, he still paused to give her a brief rest.

"We can't afford to stop, Chief," she panted. "If more Covenant show up we're dead."

"You'll be dead if you don't rest," he countered. Her helmet looked up, and he had to assume she was glaring at him.

"At this rate we'll never get out of here," she muttered shortly before straightening. "Let's go; if we can get to the trees we'll be fine, and have enough cover to hide." She started past him, so intent on getting them out of there that she completely missed the Jackal hiding in an alcove to her left. John saw the shot hit her right between her shoulder blades, and watched Hawkes stagger and fall against the wall. A few shots made short work of the alien, and he hurried over to the wall; the ONI operative was slumped over, biosigns moving erratically.

"Chief, get the hell out of here," she murmured.

"I don't leave a teammate behind." He moved to help her to her feet, but she slumped against him, limp and unmoving.

----

Jessica felt the plasma hit her squarely in the back; a sharp burning pain made itself known for a few seconds, then faded. _Either the new blacksuit works, or I'm going into shock, or both._ She mentally cursed herself for not paying attention to her surroundings, even as she heard the sound of gunfire. _Sound's like the Chief's got things in hand._ A few seconds later she heard footsteps approaching and saw him lean over her.

"Chief, get the hell out of here." _I don't want you getting yourself killed because of me._

"I don't leave a teammate behind." She felt armored hands helping her upright, but she knew she'd never make it out: the signs of shock were setting in, cold and numb.

Just before she passed out, she heard him call her name.

"Hawkes!"


	9. Chapter 8: Burned

Sorry if this one's not as good as the others--had a hard time writing it. Hopefully it's not too bad. Enjoy! 

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.

Chapter Eight: Burned

_Hawkes started past him, so intent on getting them out of there that she completely missed the Jackal hiding in an alcove to her left._ _John saw the shot hit her right between her shoulder blades, and watched Hawkes stagger and fall against the wall. A few shots made short work of the alien, and he hurried over to the wall; the ONI operative was slumped over, biosigns moving erratically._

_"Chief, get the hell out of here," she murmured._

_"I don't leave a teammate behind." He moved to help her to her feet, but she slumped against him, limp and unmoving._

_"Hawkes!"_

----

John draped the unconscious ONI lieutenant over his shoulder as he departed the tower. Hawkes had taken a shot that would've killed most personnel, but there wasn't time to speculate on how she'd survived. They needed a place to regroup, and to wait for the UNSC.

"Cortana, is there anyplace we can hide?"

"According to seismic readings, there are a number of caves and tunnels in the surrounding area. Unfortunately, they're still a good distance away form here, and there's bound to be at least one patrol in our way."

"And we need to make sure Hawkes is all right," John finished. "Let me know if a patrol starts getting too close."

The Spartan stopped underneath a decent-sized tree, which would provide some cover from Covenant air units, and lowered the unconscious Hawkes to the ground. Using extreme care, since his armor amplified the smallest of movements, he undid part of the blacksuit, just enough to get at the wound on Hawkes' back. Surprisingly, there was only minor damage: what normally would have been blackened skin was merely blistered, similar to a third-degree burn.

"Cortana?"

"I see it, Chief," the AI replied, somewhat puzzled. "Unfortunately, I have no logical explanation, unless there's something about Hawkes that ONI didn't tell us."

_About Hawkes, or about her gear_, John thought, fingering the blacksuit lightly; even through his armors gauntlets the material felt…odd, almost thicker than normal.

A groan sounded underneath him, as Hawkes stirred and tried to sit up. He watched the lieutenant flinch from the pain, then scramble to cover herself.

"Don't move, Lieutenant. I need to take care of that plasma burn."

----

Jessica stared at the Chief, her eyes widening inside her helmet. Waking up to the pain had been unpleasant enough, but waking up to find herself partially naked in hostile territory was too much.

"Can't it wait until we get back to the UNSC?" she heard herself snap, wincing from her tone as much as a sudden bout of pain.

"We shouldn't wait. It could get infected if we do, and we don't know when the UNSC will arrive, if they ever do."

_Unfortunately, he's right_, Jessica thought sadly. She was uneasy with the thought of a man treating her, even though she'd had it done before—it wasn't something one got used to. Sighing, she lay back down and allowed the Chief to touch her. There was a cold sensation as she felt him apply some sort of ointment, and she couldn't help but shiver.

"Hurts?" _Is that concern I hear in his voice? Hard to tell…_

"No, just cold, mostly. It does sting though." He was rubbing the ointment into her back, and she was hard-pressed not to sigh in relief. It felt so good, lying there with a legend touching her, that she almost forgot they were in a war-zone. Almost.

"Almost done, then we can get out of here," the Chief muttered, shortly before she felt a sterile adhesive bandage cover the wound. As soon as she was able, Jessica sat up and redid her blacksuit, running one hand over the back of it as best she could. There was a slightly glassy feel to the threads where the plasma had hit, but other than that the suit was still in top shape. _Good to know for now_, she thought, before turning back to the Chief.

"Let's get out of here."

----

Cortana had led them to a series of caves, and the two of them sat in one corner, barely visible in the dim light of the caverns. Jessica fingered her captured plasma pistol with one hand, but her mind was wandering in every direction. _Thank goodness the Chief's on the alert,_ she thought, right before her mind wandered in a new and highly dangerous path.

Her memory was a little hazy, only natural considering the shock from the plasma hit, but Jessica could clearly recall telling the Chief to go. She also recalled him saying he wouldn't leave her behind, a statement that could be considered grounds for insubordination. Why, then, would he take that risk? Unless he considered her a valuable part of the mission, which was highly unlikely, since he and Cortana could do as well if not better. So what was his reason?

Her back was hurting from the plasma burn; she shifted slightly, which only added to her discomfort.

"You alright?" The rasping voice startled her, and she jumped a little, only to gasp in pain.

"Please don't scare me like that," she whispered. In the faint light she saw the Chief shift a little closer, and felt an armored hand lean her forwards. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure you're not hurt any worse than you already are." Was his voice a bit gentler? _Nah, probably just my imagination._ Jessica felt his hand vanish for a moment, there was a hissing noise, and his hand returned to exploring her back. Only…there was something different about the feel…_he took his gauntlet off!_ For a Spartan to part with any portion of his armor was practically unheard of, especially in a war-zone. Jessica wondered why he was taking such a risk, and for a brief moment indulged in the thought of the Master Chief caressing her, kissing her, loving her…_snap out of it, Hawkes!_

----

John wondered why he'd taken off his gauntlet: unless there was a valid reason for it, he was never out of his armor, it was a part of him. And yet, taking off that piece of armor had felt so…_right_. If there was one thing he'd been trained to do, it was to trust his feelings, and so he'd removed the gauntlet without question.

He resumed checking the ONI officer for injuries, and felt annoyed by the blacksuit covering her body. _Wait, why am I feeling like that?_ It was as if he didn't want the woman…no, the _lieutenant_…wearing that particular item of clothing. It made no sense for him to feel that way, but some part of him did. _Besides, that blacksuit probably saved her life…wait, how did it in the first place?_

"Hawkes, when you were shot, you only escaped with minor injuries…" he began, but Hawkes nodded before he could finish.

"A new design we've been working on. There's some special conductive material woven into the suit's polymers to disperse plasma shots. In theory, the dispersed energy could go to a micro-generator that would power the minor functions in the suit, as well as a small shield generator that got added. The scientists also readjusted the design for increased mobility. We ran it through the simulator several times and got good results, so Colonel Ackerson decided to have me field-test it." She grinned ruefully and motioned toward her back. "Saved my hide back there, didn't it?"

John nodded, then removed his hand; he could see no other injuries, and there was no reason to leave it there, even though the thought of doing so pleased him a bit. "You're fine."

"I could've told you that, Chief," Hawkes murmured, her voice lower than it had been. Was she trying to keep quiet or was there some other factor? He could see her figure clearly in the dark: she was trembling a little, but in a way most people wouldn't have noticed

"Something wrong?"

----

Jessica was more than a little disappointed when the Chief removed his hand; there was something reassuring about its weight on her back, which was probably why she thought of being in his arms…_ok, this is too much. As soon as I get back to Earth I'm resigning._ She couldn't handle too much more time alone with the Spartan, otherwise she might find herself doing something that would compromise the mission.

She felt a little shaky, tremors that had nothing to do with the adrenaline rush from earlier. There really wasn't much she could do about it except wait it out, and hope the Chief didn't notice.

"Something wrong?" _Ok, _scratch_ that plan. Now what'll I tell him?_

"Nothing, Master Chief, just adrenaline wearing off. I'll be fine in a moment." Fortunately for her, he seemed to believe her lie.

----

Inside the Chief's helmet, Cortana processed the AI equivalent of a resigned sigh. Those two were hopeless. Not that she could have done much even if she had a body and could talk to both of them, really. _Humans can be so thick sometimes_. There had been an obvious…_chemistry_ was the word, she believed, right from the start. Yet those two were intent on ignoring it, which certainly couldn't be healthy. And once they got back to Earth, Hawkes would disappear, most likely on another infiltration op. Cortana reviewed the files Hawkes had sent her, as well as a few files she herself had hacked. She was an excellent operative, her records practically screamed that much, but her lack of discipline had gotten her demoted more than she'd been promoted. _A perfect study in opposites, the perfect foil for the Chief._ All those two really needed was a little incentive…Cortana processed the equivalent of a smile as an idea began to form in the back of her 'mind'.


	10. Chapter 9: A Nudge From A Friend

Chapter Nine: A Nudge From A Friend

_Inside the Chief's helmet, Cortana processed the AI equivalent of a resigned sigh. Those two were hopeless. Not that she could have one much even if she had a body and could talk to both of them, really. _Humans can be so thick sometimes._ There had been an obvious…chemistry was the word, she believed, right from the start. Yet those two were intent on ignoring it, which certainly couldn't be healthy. And once they got back to Earth, Hawkes would disappear, most likely on another infiltration op. Cortana reviewed the files Hawkes had sent her, as well as a few files she herself had hacked. She was an excellent operative, her records practically screamed that much, but her lack of discipline had gotten her demoted more than she'd been promoted. _A perfect study in opposites, the perfect foil for the Chief._ All those two really needed was a little incentive…Cortana processed the equivalent of a smile as an idea began to form in the back of her 'mind'._

----

Cortana checked the environment around the team using the sensors in the Chief's armor: the cave they were in was cool without being dangerously so, at least for a normal person. For someone who'd been hit with a plasma blast, however, the cool damp environment might be a problem. As much as Cortana wanted to 'play matchmaker', she knew Hawkes' injury was the more pressing concern: if the UNSC didn't arrive soon, the wound could likely get worse. _Even though she received less than the normal damage count, there's still enough to worry about. _The wound was more similar to a third-degree burn than a plasma burn, true, but the skin had been blistered rather badly. And with the irritation of the slightly-damaged blacksuit, there was a strong likelihood of the raw, damaged skin opening and becoming infected.

Cortana sensed the Chief turn his head to regard the ONI lieutenant, who was now dozing in one corner of the cave with plasma pistol close to hand. Part of being inside the Chief's mind involved being able to sense his thought processes and emotions to a degree, since different parts of the brain processed different 'human' emotions (she rather liked the thought that the human mind was similar to a computer); while he was looking at Hawkes she sensed pity, compassion, and admiration, along with a physical desire that he was trying to stave off. In a way, it was interesting to 'watch' the play of emotions in the Spartan's mind—especially since these were emotions he hadn't previously experienced during any of their missions together—but now was not the time to stand by and observe.

"Anything the matter, Chief?" _This could be interesting_, she thought with mild amusement; his brain activity indicated that he was trying to cover up his interest in the lieutenant.

"Nothing, Cortana. Just making sure the lieutenant's in good shape."

----

John wondered why he was watching Lieutenant Hawkes, who was dozing in one corner. She seemed in relative comfort, all things considered, and he wondered how many other injuries she'd received as an undercover operative. Her helmet was still on, so he couldn't see her face, but from the way she was resting he could tell she was uncomfortable. She lay partly on her side and partly on her stomach, one hand poised near the plasma pistol on the floor, and her other arm served to cushion her helmeted head. He felt bad for the woman, since she'd gotten shot (_though it was her fault anyway,_ a little voice reminded him), but couldn't help admire her for sticking it out. In point of fact, Hawkes had a lot of admirable qualities, not the least of which being her knack for stealth.

He continued to watch Hawkes, noting how the blacksuit fit her body, how she was positioned facing the cave entrance in a completely innocent manner. John felt an almost overwhelming urge to go to Hawkes and touch her, and forced it down; he didn't know what was causing this, but now was certainly not the time to have to deal with it.

"Anything the matter, Chief?" Cortana's voice cut into his thoughts.

"Nothing, Cortana. Just making sure the lieutenant's in good shape."

"You're not a very good liar, Chief," the AI replied with what sounded like a chuckle. "Your pulse rate has increased and your body temperature is up three-tenths of a degree. Factor in your emotional responses right now, and that leads to one very interesting story." John sighed inwardly; he'd forgotten that Cortana had free access to his vitals, and to a degree his mental states, which meant he couldn't lie to her at all and get away with it. His best bet would be to ignore her comments.

"Hiding isn't going to do any good," she parroted in his ear. "Face it, Chief, you're attracted to her." The comment brought him up short.

_Attracted?_ John supposed that was as good a description as any. He was impressed with Hawkes' combat skills, and her stealth ability rivaled the Spartans' own. She was cool under fire, so far at any rate, and she hadn't complained once about her injury; hell, she'd even tried to lie when she said she was fine when it was obvious she wasn't. _She would've made a good Spartan_, he thought, and again felt the urge to touch her. _Now's not the time._

"You keep saying that and eventually you'll wind up believing it," Cortana interrupted; John had inadvertently said his thoughts aloud.

"There's no way this can happen, Cortana," John sighed, finally admitting defeat. "You know the rules. I have to find a way to deal with this."

"Chief, in this case there's not a whole lot you can do except wait and see." John frowned at this: Spartans didn't like waiting as a rule. They were trained to take the fight to the enemy, not wait for the fight to come to them. To sit and wait was almost as alien to him as the Covenant. Unfortunately, Cortana also had a point: there _wasn't_ much he could do otherwise.

A stirring from the corner brought his attention to Hawkes. The ONI operative shifted in her sleep, hissed in pain and sat up, placing one hand over her back. Her wound was obviously bothering her again, but she didn't move to tend it; rather, she pulled her helmet off and rubbed at her ear. Her brown hair, which she'd pulled back in a braid for the mission, had come loose and hung haphazardly around her face, but it didn't hide the pained expression.

"Her burn must be hurting her, Chief. Better see if she needs a hand." Cortana's voice gave him the nudge he needed; standing up, he moved over to the lieutenant and set one hand on her shoulder.

----

Cortana "watched" through the Chief's sensors as Hawkes shifted, her wound bringing her back to full consciousness. Oddly enough, she pulled her helmet off and rubbed the side of her head rather than tend to her back. _Though sleeping in a helmet would hurt, why isn't she dealing with the larger problem?_ Then the answer hit her: she couldn't do more than had already been done, and no doubt was uneasy about exposing herself more than she needed to. Remembering Hawkes' reaction when the Chief had uncovered her the first time reaffirmed her conclusion. _Though how much of it was from the fact that we were exposed to the Covenant forces at the time?_

The idea from earlier took shape in Cortana's processors, and she saw the chance to finally do something about those two humans. _Finally_.

"Her burn must be hurting her, Chief. Better see if she needs a hand." Cortana processed the AI equivalent of a smile; though he restrained himself, she could sense the Chief's eagerness to approach the lieutenant, and she had little doubt that her scheme would be successful.

----

_I am _never_ sleeping in a helmet again!_ Jessica fumed silently as she massaged her ear. Granted, she should be more worried about her back than her ear, but there was only so much she could do for that. _I've done all I can for that burn, or rather, the Chief's done all he can._ Besides, with her luck a Covenant trooped would discover them and raise the alarm the moment she pulled her blacksuit down.

She'd been sleeping so peacefully when she'd tried to roll over; a sudden flash of intense pain had yanked her brutally back to wakefulness. Regretting her obvious hint of pain—no doubt the Chief had heard her gasp—she tried to ignore the burning in her back and focused on rubbing some life back to her ear.

Jessica started when she felt an armored hand on her shoulder, gasping as another wave of pain made its appearance. Gritting her teeth, she looked up into the helmeted face of the Master Chief.

"You all right?" his gravely voice, though hushed, echoed in the cavern. Jessica forced herself to nod and continued rubbing her aching ear.

"Well enough, Chief, thanks for asking." She finished with her ear and looked around for her helmet, dimly registering a slight hissing noise nearby. Finally locating her helmet, she made to put it on when an armored hand stopped her. Startled, Jessica looked up into a pair of dark brown eyes.

----

_Why did I do that?_ He'd taken his helmet off in a war zone, for the first time he could remember. There was no logical explanation, really…other than wanting the operative to actually see his face. It just felt _right_ for her to see him like this.

Hawkes was startled, that much was obvious. She probably hadn't been expecting this either. John forced himself to say something, anything.

"We should check your wound."

"I'm fine, Chief. Besides, we've done as much as we can for the moment. ONI can patch me up more thoroughly when we reestablish contact; until then I'll just need to wait it out." She finally looked him in the eye, her green-flecked gaze showing her own worry.

----

_He's worried, but why? Does he think ONI will abandon us?_ Jessica saw it, hiding in the back of his eyes. She wasn't going to comment on it, though—after all, how would it feel to have someone pulling her thoughts into the open when she wanted to keep them private?

"We should check your wound." _Was that concern in his voice?_ She told herself she was imagining things, but the thought rang hollow.

"I'm fine, Chief. Besides, we've done as much as we can for the moment." That much was certainly true: all that could be done about her plasma wound had been done already, for the moment. "ONI can patch me up more thoroughly when we reestablish contact; until then I'll just need to wait it out." She looked him in the eye, trying hard to prove she was fine, and saw concern. _Concern about what, though, that's the thing._

An impulsive thought crept through her mind, and for once she didn't shove it aside. _You'll regret this later, Hawkes_, an inner voice cautioned, but she ignored it. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, something she'd been dreaming about for years, and she wasn't going to let the opportunity slip past now that it was here.

Leaning up a bit, closing her eyes and blocking out the pain, Jessica kissed him.


	11. Chapter 10: Poor Impulse Control

Whew! Writer's block and college classes are horrible, which accounts for the short chapter. Sorry it's not longer, but the muse eludes me. Oh well, hopefully this meets with reader approval. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.

Chapter Ten: Poor Impulse Control

_An impulsive thought crept through her mind, and for once she didn't shove it aside. _You'll regret this later, Hawkes,_ an inner voice cautioned, but she ignored it. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, something she'd been dreaming about for years, and she wasn't going to let the opportunity slip past now that it was here._

_Leaning up a bit, closing her eyes and blocking out the pain, Jessica kissed him._

----

John was surprised, to say the least, when Hawkes kissed him. Having long grown used to violence and forceful actions, this gentle brush against his lips was a bit of a shock. _Why is she doing this? How should I react?_ This wasn't something he'd been trained for, and for a moment he was completely helpless.

The lieutenant seemed to sense his unease; she moved away a bit, ending the kiss. Before she could move too far, though, instincts long dormant had taken hold. John moved in and kissed her back, accepting the unusual gentle touch and finding himself enjoying it. Hawkes seemed to be encouraged by his action and returned his kiss, her own more-experienced mouth moving gently over his, teasing and encouraging.

John was lost: it seemed as if the moment would never end. Taking great care not to use too much force, he placed a hand on the operative's back and pulled her closer.

----

_What am I thinking?!?! _Jessica felt the thought scream through her head almost as soon as she kissed the Chief. _He doesn't want this, he can't want this! I just made a complete ass of myself, and probably embarrassed ONI no end!_ Breaking the kiss, she pulled away, intending to find some excuse to get away from him before she did something else wrong. She hadn't gotten far when she felt the Spartan kiss her; she hadn't even noticed him leaning forward as she tried to leave. His kiss was entirely unique: soft, gentle, and extremely inexperienced. _Oh John, you've missed out on a lot, haven't you?_ Of course, she already knew he had.

Jessica gently returned his kiss, having had a few relationships in the past to guide her now. She brushed her lips along his teasingly, occasionally skimming her tongue against them, encouraging him to go further. The Chief apparently had similar ideas: she felt one armored hand place itself on her back and pull gently.

Taken by surprise, she didn't have the chance to brace herself for the pain or stifle her cry.

----

She cried out, involuntarily pulling away from him. John cursed himself mentally: he'd forgotten that she was injured, and had put his hand right over her burn. Jessica Hawkes pulled further away, a few tears on her face, from the pain he supposed.

"I'm sorry," John muttered, surprised at how pathetic he sounded. _Why can't you say anything better than 'I'm sorry'?_ "I don't know how I forgot about your wound." _That was even worse!_

"It's alright, Chief," Jessica replied, hanging her own head. "If anything I should be apologizing to you. I had no excuse to act the way I did, and I risked jeopardizing the mission in doing so. You did nothing wrong." She moved away and took a seat at the farthest corner of the cave as she could. _Did I offend her?_

----

Jessica felt completely horrible: she had kissed the _Master Chief_, of all people! Worse yet, he'd thought it was his fault for kissing her, even though she'd started it! _How did I screw this up? I was supposed to keep my distance._ And yet, it was hard enough trying to keep away now: something was trying to pull her to the Chief. _This isn't good. Hopefully I'll be able to fight my poor impulse control long enough to get back home, then I'm turning in my resignation._ If she was compromising this mission by giving in to her feelings, feelings that she should have been able to suppress, there was no telling what might happen on future missions. This way she could leave before someone got hurt. Plus, once she left ONI she could disappear for a long time, if not for good then at least long enough that the Chief or ONI would lose interest.

Her decision made, Jessica faced the cavern entrance and put herself on guard.

----

_That almost worked_, Cortana thought unhappily. Once the Chief had put his helmet back on, she'd looked at the emotions running through his brain. Confusion, worry, surprise, guilt, and tenderness—oddly enough—were all running pell-mell through his head. Judging by the electrochemical signals going past as well, there was an increased amount of sexual desire present in the mix. Cortana ran the data and came up with a probable conclusion: Hawkes and the Chief had interacted on a somewhat intimate level. _Which would definitely explain the surprise and confusion, as well as the desire. But why the worry, or the guilt for that matter?_

Hawkes was sitting in a corner watching the cave entrance. Cortana tapped into her bio-monitors and noted increased stress levels, as well as an increased amount of hormones normally associated with sexual arousal. _Interesting._ The AI processed the equivalent of a frown as she "watched" Hawkes absentmindedly run her fingers across her mouth. _I'll bet she kissed him! So why is she sitting there by herself instead of with the Chief?_ Cortana ceased her musing and turned her attention to the Chief. There were answers to be found, and she decided to bother him until he told her what had happened.


	12. Chapter 11: Rescued

Whew! Almost a month since my last update--ok, maybe not, but it feels like it. Anyway, it's another short chapter, but I've been a bit busy lately (exams and so forth coming up). Hopefully I'll find the time to keep going, though. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.

Chapter Eleven: Rescued

"Chief, what just happened? I'm detecting an increase in your pulse and thyroid output…"

"Cortana, I don't want to know," John abruptly cut her off, something he hadn't ever done before. Cortana was intrigued, to say the least.

"Okay, fine, no need to be so pushy. Some of us actually care what happens to you, Master Chief." After a moment she added "I suppose it has nothing to do with why Hawkes is sitting in the farthest corner of the cave." The AI could sense his hesitation, and almost 'smiled'. _Good, maybe now he'll let on as to what's bothering him._ Cortana wasn't above using trickery to accomplish her ends, and if getting the Chief and Hawkes together meant sending him on a guilt trip, so be it.

John sighed inside his helmet, then proceeded to relate the happenings of the past five minutes to his AI and friend. "I went to check her wound, like you suggested, and she…she _kissed_ me. I didn't expect it at first, but when she pulled back, I started kissing her."

"And you hated it, is that what's bothering you?" Cortana processed the equivalent of a smirk at the Chief's reaction.

"No, I _enjoyed_ it! I shouldn't have been able to, but I enjoyed kissing her! It…it was…" He couldn't find the words.

"So why did you stop?"

In a quiet voice, John replied, "I touched her back. I wanted to bring her closer to me, for some reason, and when I touched her, I touched her wound. She cried out, and…She thinks she was the one to blame for all this."

_This is worse than dealing with a small child,_ Cortana mused. "Chief, it's no one's fault. The two of you were attracted to each other the moment we had that briefing in Ackerson's office. It was only a matter of time before something happened."

"You knew?" His shocked reaction was almost worth the effort of making him feel guilty—almost. _Now he thinks I've been holding out on him_.

"I guessed, based on the physical reactions from when you two met. I didn't say anything at first, I wanted to be sure. Now I am sure, and both of you are avoiding each other like the plague. Why?"

"She's ONI, and besides, regulations on military fraternization—"

"And how many times has Ackerson bent the rules around Hawkes? She's his _protégé_, Chief. If she wanted he'd probably bend the rules again."

John was about to reply when a communication crackled through his helmet speakers.

"_—do you read? Repeat, UNSC _Athens_ to ONI operative RedHawk, do you read?_"

In answer, they heard over the COM, "RedHawk here, good to hear from you _Athens_. What's happening topside?"

----

"RedHawk here, good to hear from you _Athens_. What's happening topside?"

"We've pushed back a good chunk of the opposition, and we have teams securing the objective and the outlying areas," the COM crackled in her ear. "Status report."

"One injured, no other casualties. We're holed up in some caverns not far from the archive. No visible contacts nearby, but I'm not holding my breath."

"Understood." A brief pause, then Jessica heard, "If you can, start heading back to the archives. A team will meet up with you there and escort you and the Master Chief to debriefing."

"Roger that, we're on our way." Jessica disconnected and turned to the Chief.

"Let's move out, the UNSC is waiting for us."

----

"Hold still, Lieutenant," the _Athens'_medic voiced calmly as he applied more of some stinging, smelly ointment. It was all Jessica could do not to snap at the poor man. _This crap hurts worse than the actual burn! And don't even get me started on the stink._ Craning her neck around, she looked over her shoulder at the medic standing over her.

"What exactly are you putting on there?" she asked in what she hoped was an even tone.

"Our strongest burn treatment yet. I have orders to make sure you're both in top shape before debriefing."

_Which won't happen until we reach Earth_, she thought glumly as she settled back on her stomach. Being back onboard the _Athens_ was a bit of a relief, because it meant they were away from Olympus. Jessica had one of the best (in her opinion) medics in the Navy looking after her, one of the best crews sending her home, nothing to worry about other than the lousy meals (which she planned on looking into shortly). _So why am I uneasy? As if I really need to ask._ The answer to her question entered the door and looked her square in the eye.

"I'd like to have a word with Lieutenant Hawkes."

----

"I'd like to have a word with Lieutenant Hawkes."

"Master Chief, the _lieutenant_ is still being treated for her injuries," the medic replied icily, apparently not happy with John's request. _Where's Cortana when I need her?_ he thought, even though he knew she was "occupied" in the ship's computer systems.

"It's all right, Doc," Hawkes intervened before John could reply. "I waived rank for the mission, since he knew more about the Covenant than I did. He probably wants to discuss something we found planetside." She hissed through her teeth as the medic applied a bandage to her freshly-smeared back. "That hurts like hell, Doc."

"It will, that means it's healing. You'll be back to normal by the time we reach Earth. Just try not to move too much." John was thankful for his years of training and discipline; the glare that Hawkes shot the medic was amusing, to say the least.

"Can I at least be cleared to walk around, or am I going to be stuck on my stomach for the return trip?"

"Yes, you can walk, Lieutenant, just no running, and no shadow-boxing either." The medical officer chuckled quietly, and John forced himself to suppress the image of Hawkes in tight black shorts.

"Good. Then if you'll excuse me, I apparently need to talk to the Master Chief." Hawkes eased herself off the medical bed and escorted the Chief to her cabin.


	13. Chapter 12: Regrets and Decisions

Yay, I'm back with another chapter. Yes, it's a short one again, but things've been hectic lately (finals are a real pain!). At any rate, it looks like things might be wrapping up…or are they? Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.

Chapter Twelve: Regrets and Decisions

Jessica forced herself to maintain calm as she entered the cabin, fingers absentmindedly brushing her desk before she turned to face the Chief.

"Well, Chief, apparently you have something on your mind, presumably regarding the mission. What's wrong?"

"What happened down there, Jessica?" The use of her first name stunned her; she couldn't remember him ever using it before.

"Regarding the mission? ONI found a wealth of Forerunner information, and most of the enemy opposition's given up. We're still sorting through the data—"

Jessica found herself unable to finish the sentence; after all, it gets difficult to talk when one's mouth is covered by someone else's. The Chief's kiss surprised her completely, and when he finally pulled away it was all she could do to stay upright.

"Wha—what was that?" she panted.

"What we need to discuss."

----

John had surprised himself when he kissed her, but it seemed the best thing to do. Instincts long buried and unneeded had nudged him along, and from her response it was obvious that they had been right. He watched Jessica as she shakily moved away.

"You call that a _discussion_? Most people consider it foreplay," she shot back, her eyes widening only after she realized what she'd insinuated.

"I'm surprised you're upset by that, since you were the one who started all of this," John stated calmly; how he could stay so calm was a mystery, since every part of his body demanded that he step closer and kiss her again. _Don't move_, he thought to himself.

"I know, and I'm well aware of the breach in protocol, one more thing I'll have to answer for when I get back. My actions were unnecessary, unprofessional and uncalled for." Jessica turned away and faced the wall. "I'll do my best to make sure you don't get hit by the fallout. No reason you should be tarred with the same brush as I am."

He was shocked that she was viewing everything so coldly. _ Did she really feel nothing on Olympus?_ "Jessica—"

"Is there anything else, _Master Chief_?" she cut him off, clearly intending to end the conversation. John had been trained as a soldier, and knew a dismissal when he heard one.

"No, ma'am."

"Good," Jessica sat down at her desk and stared intently at him. "We'll reach Earth in a few days. I trust you'll keep quiet about all this?"

"Yes, ma'am," John snapped a crisp salute, which she returned before dismissing him. It was only hours later that he realized there had been an unusual shine to her eyes, as if she were fighting not to cry.

----

Imbedded deep inside the _Athens'_ computer core, Cortana watched everything happening on the ship, from the galley (where she saw what the cook was doing to the rations) to the engine room (where crews were working with the new engines) to Lieutenant Hawkes' quarters. She processed a flicker of mild annoyance as she listened to the conversation between Hawkes and the Chief. _What is it going to take? Although the Chief definitely seems open to the idea, now._ Still, in spite of her best efforts, Hawkes seemed determined to avoid any relationship with the Chief. _Highly unusual, considering that she usually has no respect for protocol on her missions_.

The Chief was gone now, Hawkes had dismissed him. Cortana watched in some surprise as the ONI lieutenant roughly wiped her eyes on her uniform, wincing from her injured back. _Odd, to say the least._

"I'm sorry, John, but I can't do it," she whispered. "You can't know, you weren't supposed to know. And I hope you never find out exactly how much…no, you'll never know." The woman sighed heavily; Cortana saw a look of regret mixed with determination in her hazel eyes. "Soon as I get back to Earth I'm out of here."

----

The _Athens_ had made it back to Earth in relatively decent time, when compared to normal Slipspace cores. _Perfect, now I get to face the firing squad,_ Jessica frowned as she walked the halls. She never really cared for Sydney, Australia, but Colonel Ackerson wanted her close by. _He'll be disappointed, but even he'll see why I have to do this._ Still, she'd be glad to never see this place again; right now, there was nothing Jessica wanted more than a fresh start.

"Lieutenant Hawkes?" A female voice echoed down the corridor, and she turned to see a female aide running after her.

"Yes?" She tried to smile, she really did, but from the worried look on the other woman's face it didn't work.

"Colonel Ackerson asked me to find you, he said it was urgent."

"I was just on my way to his office, figured he'd be there." She frowned thoughtfully. "He's not in his office?"

"No, ma'am, he had a meeting in one of the conference rooms in the south wing. I can take you if you'd like."

Jessica actually smiled at that; the poor aide was doing her best, really. "I think that would be best. Heaven knows I get lost in here often enough. Lead on."

----

James Ackerson was known as a man of ruthless cunning; what people didn't really know was that under the ruthless mask was a family man. One of the few people who did was Jessica Hawkes, whose father had been a good friend of his. They'd been squadmates early on in their service to the UNSC, and when he'd been promoted, he'd made sure to keep in touch with Aaron Hawkes and his family. He'd seen Jessica grow up from a carefree child whose only goal was to raid the cookie jars into a stealth operative that could rival even the Spartans. But the change hadn't come without hardship; when she'd just turned nineteen her father had been killed on Sigma Octanus, and her life had changed drastically. Ackerson took her under his wing, as he'd promised her father a long time ago.

His musings were interrupted when the door to the conference room opened, revealing a familiar green-flecked gaze. Jessica stared at him through the doorway, and he swore she had a sad look on her face. _Something's happened._ The "parent" in him wanted to do something, _anything_, to get that sad look out of her eyes, but the colonel in him said to wait until she'd said her piece.

"Sir, respectfully, we need to talk."


	14. Chapter 13: HearttoHeart

Hey all! One more chapter for your literary pleasures--geez, how corny is that?! Anyways, here's where we find out exactly what Hawkes is up to--any guesses? Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.

Chapter Thirteen: Heart-to-Heart

_His musings were interrupted when the door to the conference room opened, revealing a familiar green-flecked gaze. Jessica stared at him through the doorway, and he swore she had a sad look on her face. Something's happened. The "parent" in him wanted to do something, anything, to get that sad look out of her eyes, but the colonel in him said to wait until she'd said her piece._

_"Sir, respectfully, we need to talk."_

Whenever Jessica opened a conversation like that, it usually meant trouble regarding a mission. She'd only done that a few times, and each time she'd been right on the dot with her statements, whether it was an assessment of the mission participants or notifying him of risks that had been overlooked. _Judging by that sad look on her face, something serious is going on_, Ackerson mused.

"All right, Lieutenant. Say what's on your mind."

She took a breath, then pasted a smile on her face. "To start with, I think the cook on the _Athens_ has been neglecting his duties. He's not very good at his job—I caught him adding something to the rations on the way back."

"Oh?" Ackerson raised an eyebrow, a nonverbal signal for her to continue.

"I took a look around his kitchen at one point. Turns out he can't cook at all, and the rations themselves are being substituted for lower-quality items. He compensates by adding various pharmaceuticals in the rations to boost the nutritional value. The end result is a bad-tasting meal, a potentially fatal health problem for the crew, and very unhappy people all around." Jessica flinched when his eyes narrowed; it took a lot for him to lose his temper when she was in the room, and the fact that he was irritated now spelled no good.

"I'll order a full investigation. The crew on the _Athens_ is one of my best, and if they're not being taken care of, and possibly poisoned, I'm not about to let that go so lightly." Ackerson took a deep breath, trying to rein in his temper.

"Sir, there's more." Jessica hesitated. "You may want to sit down for this."

----

"You may want to sit down for this."

The minute the words were out of her mouth, Jessica knew there was no going back. She needed to tell him now, as much as she would have loved to avoid doing so.

"What's wrong, Hawkes?" _He's not going to like this._ She knew that steely look meant trouble.

"There was some trouble during the mission, something I didn't put in the report. I'm aware that an omission of mission details is grounds for disciplinary action, but I had to omit this." She took a deep breath, then related the incidents in the caverns on Olympus, and the confrontation in her quarters on the _Athens_.

"This was the only thing you omitted from the mission report?" _He doesn't seem angry at all_. Still, she couldn't look him in the eye.

"That's the only thing I left out, sir. And we both know why I did. You had to have guessed I was fascinated by him, at the very least, and yet you still paired us for a mission."

"I put you two together because I wanted to prove to them that I hadn't made a mistake. This was unexpected, Hawkes." The colonel glanced around the room and then focused on her. His face softened a bit, and she recognized the parent in him coming out.

"Jessica, I didn't expect that you'd fall for a Spartan, but even if I did I wouldn't have done anything differently. You needed this mission to prove to ONI that you aren't a mistake." One hand rested on her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. _You're not making this any easier, _she thought sadly.

"And yet this mission proved the opposite, Colonel. I gave in to my emotions on Olympus, emotions that I should've learned to push aside a long time ago. Granted, we were in a relatively safe situation, but what if I allow myself to lose focus in the middle of a potentially lethal situation? Can ONI really afford to take that chance? Can you?"

Jessica stepped away from him, looking him in the eye for the first time through their conversation. "I'll have my resignation on your desk tomorrow morning."

As she headed for the door, Ackerson's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Is this really what you want, Jessica?"

Turning, she answered, "It's what I need." Then, without a backward glance, she left.

----

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Yes, Master Chief, take a seat." John sat down stiffly, watching as the ONI colonel sorted through various papers on his desk. Picking up one paper, the man frowned and passed it to the petty officer.

"What do you make of this, Master Chief?" Ackerson's tone was carefully neutral as John scanned the documentation. It appeared to be a resignation…

"Lieutenant Hawkes?" he asked in disbelief; for a Spartan to openly display surprise, or any emotion for that matter, was extremely rare.

"Yes, that's her signature. She turned in her resignation shortly after the two of you got back from Olympus. Now I have a feeling as to why she did it, but I want to see if you have any ideas as to why." Ackerson stared him in the face. "Master Chief, what happened on that planet that made her run with her tail between her legs?"

"It…," the Chief hesitated. "It didn't start on the planet, sir."

"Oh? Then when did it start?"

"On the _Athens_, sir. I think it started when I ran into her quarters, thinking she was being attacked."

Surprisingly, Ackerson chuckled. "She was shadowboxing, I take it?"

"Yes, sir. I guess things escalated from that point. Then on Olympus, I started feeling things, especially when she was shot. And when we were in the caverns, she kissed me."

A thoughtful look crossed the ONI officer's features. "So she made the first move. I assume you didn't respond in kind."

"Actually, sir, I did." John forced himself to look at the older man, wondering why he felt so embarrassed. "I accidentally brushed her wound, and if I hadn't then we wouldn't have stopped. Afterwards, she tried to distance herself, she said she'd make sure nothing happened to me."

"And she did so. Her official report made no mention of any of this, Master Chief. She told me in private, just before she turned in her resignation. Her excuse was that she could no longer control her emotions, and while it's a valid excuse, I wonder if she's not running away."

"Is she, sir?"

"It's possible. Plus she never did take to the black ops mindset. She could've just gotten fed up altogether." Ackerson sighed, and John couldn't help but notice how old the colonel suddenly seemed. "Once she turned in her resignation, she vanished. No one knows where she went, no one's seen her. I doubt anyone will find her unless she wants them to."

"I believe it," John nodded. "After seeing her on Olympus, her being able to disappear comes as no surprise."

A faint smile crossed Ackerson's face. "She wasn't always that skilled. Used to be she couldn't even sneak to the kitchen to raid the cookie jars. Jessica came so far, and I can't guess why she just ran away from it."

"I can answer that, Colonel," a female voice echoed through the room; a moment later Cortana materialized on a nearby holopad. Snapping her fingers, she played a recording taken from Hawkes' quarters on the _Athens_:

"_I'm sorry, John, but I can't do it. You can't know, you weren't supposed to know. And I hope you never find out exactly how much…no, you'll never know."_ A deep sigh preceded the woman's next words:_ "Soon as I get back to Earth I'm out of here._"

"Looks like she figured it was a lost cause, and decided to cut and run while she could. Frankly, I can't blame her for being scared, with the UNSC's policies on relationships, coupled with ONI locking everything down." The AI looked around the room, gazing rather sharply at Ackerson, John noticed. "I'm surprised she didn't go to you for help."

"Jessica hates it when I bail her out, she prefers to handle things herself when she can. Even when her father died, she shut everyone else out." Ackerson suddenly looked at the formidable pair. "Master Chief, Cortana, I want you two to find her."

"Why can't you find her?" Cortana asked pointedly.

"Because she knows all of ONI's tricks, and you probably have a few originals. Besides, ONI would just as soon I not find her, for obvious reasons." The colonel looked at them, almost pleadingly. "I'm asking you, as kind of a father figure. Find her."

----

The Blue Ridge Mountains rose up in the background, framing a bustling city. She walked through the main plaza, arms full of groceries, trying to find her apartment. _I've been here for over a week and I still can't find my own home,_ she thought in disgust, shifting her load once again.

There was a commotion in the local town hall. Pausing outside, she froze when she heard a familiar gravelly voice giving a lecture on weapon safety to the local cops. _Oh shit! Did he find me? Does he even know I'm here?_ She hurried away from the town hall and headed for her apartment as best she could. Once she managed to locate her apartment, opening the door with shaking hands, she set her groceries down.

_Does he know?_ The question ran through her mind like nothing she'd ever known, except her feelings during the Olympus mission. _No, don't think about it, it'll only bring you grief. Besides,_ _even if he knew, he'd never recognize me. _She headed for the bathroom, not even glancing at the red-haired reflection in the mirror.


	15. Chapter 14: Caught

Hello to all my readers! Been busy working to pay the piper, but I did find time for another chapter for your reading pleasure (ok, that just sounded cheesy!). Anyways, soooooo many people wanted the Chief to find Hawkes after she vanished that I just _couldn't_ refuse. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.

Chapter Fourteen: Caught

"_Master Chief, Cortana, I want you two to find her."_

_"Why can't you find her?" Cortana asked pointedly._

_"Because she knows all of ONI's tricks, and you probably have a few originals. Besides, ONI would just as soon I not find her, for obvious reasons." The colonel looked at them, almost pleadingly. "I'm asking you, as kind of a father figure. Find her."_

Cortana pondered the conversation as she slipped into the UNSC network. It seemed an obvious place to start looking, since most military transportation sent orders through here; if Jessica Hawkes were to leave Sydney, it would be logged here, somewhere. She sifted through the myriads of data, classified or otherwise, while another portion of her intellect continued to ponder Ackerson's latest actions.

_"I'm asking you, as kind of a father figure. Find her."_

Plainly Hawkes was more than a favored officer, otherwise why that word choice? Granted, that could have been a subtle manipulation on his part, but Cortana hadn't detected any indicators of falsehood from the man. He seemed to genuinely care about Hawkes' well-being, something that didn't quite square with any of his past behaviors.

Cortana's intellect suddenly came alert as a passenger list brushed alongside her. Reaching out with digital fingers, she caught it: a list of military personnel bound for Richmond, VA—a popular site for Marines on leave, given the rich military history of the place. Scanning the list, her attention focused on one name: no rank, no affiliation, just a name.

**Hawkes, Jessica L.**

----

"You haven't narrowed it down any further?" John asked impatiently.

"Not quite yet, but I will relatively soon." The AI sighed in frustration. "Once she gets to Richmond, it'll be relatively easy for her to disappear. The only way to make a positive identification would be via retinal scan, and I highly doubt that she'd submit to that, especially if she wanted to stay hidden."

John scowled, but forced himself to remain relatively calm. _Getting angry isn't going to help matters_, he thought. Still, it was hard to sit still and do nothing when the one woman who fascinated him like this was vanishing right under his nose. _How could I let her get away?_

Ackerson frowned thoughtfully. "You say she went to Virginia?"

"She was on a transport heading for that area, yes," Cortana replied. Her holographic image flickered into view, a puzzled look on her face. "Do you have an idea where she could be?"

"Possibly. Ever heard of Elkton, Virginia?"

----

_The Blue Ridge Mountains rose up in the background, framing a bustling city. She walked through the main plaza, arms full of groceries, trying to find her apartment_. I've been here for over a week and I still can't find my own home_, she thought in disgust, shifting her load once again._

_There was a commotion in the local town hall. Pausing outside, she froze when she heard a familiar gravelly voice giving a lecture on weapon safety to the local cops. _Oh shit! Did he find me? Does he even know I'm here?_ She hurried away from the town hall and headed for her apartment as best she could. Once she managed to locate her apartment, opening the door with shaking hands, she set her groceries down._

Does he know?_ The question ran through her mind like nothing she'd ever known, except her feelings during the Olympus mission. _No, don't think about it, it'll only bring you grief. Besides, even if he knew, he'd never recognize me._ She headed for the bathroom, not even glancing at the red-haired reflection in the mirror._

Lynn Hutchins paused inside the bathroom doorway, green-flecked eyes darting around the small bathroom. With the Chief in town she had to be extremely careful about being discovered—she didn't want to have to deal with everything again. _Once was painful enough._ Finally convinced the small room was secure, she entered and locked the door behind her; it was still midday, but she felt like a long hot soak would ease her nerves.

Small clouds of steam fogged the mirror, and Lynn took her time undressing, stretching as many muscles as she could. The last thing she took off was the red wig, placing it well away form the tub so it wouldn't be ruined. The newly-freed brown hair tumbled in long, luxurious waves down her back, swaying a little as she lowered herself into the tub. _This is nice_, she thought as a sigh of pleasure escaped her; sinking back against the cool porcelain, she allowed herself to drift off and forget her worries, for a little while.

Loud, raucous pounding brought Lynn back to wakefulness. _I must've dozed off,_ she thought blearily as the pounding continued. It sounded like someone was trying to beat down her front door.

"All right, already!" she bellowed, getting out of the tub as quickly as she could. She was halfway down the hall before she remembered her wig._ Oh shit, it's still in the bathroom!_ Lynn turned around fast and darted to the bathroom, where she commenced to stuff her hair as quickly as she could under the red wig. Moments later she was opening the door, forcing herself to speak coldly to someone she'd been hoping to avoid.

"I hope you have a decent reason for trying to bash in my apartment door," she stated as she scowled at a hulking man in a UNSC uniform.

----

While part of him was busy lecturing the men and women in front of him, a conversation from before he left Sydney hovered at the back of John's mind, the real reason he was here in Elkton, VA.

_Ackerson frowned thoughtfully. "You say she went to Virginia?"_

_"She was on a transport heading for that area, yes," Cortana replied. Her holographic image flickered into view, a puzzled look on her face. "Do you have an idea where she could be?"_

_"Possibly. Ever heard of Elkton, Virginia?"_

_John was puzzled. "No, where is that?"_

_"It's a small town at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, kind of close to a popular resort complex." A reminiscent look crossed Ackerson's face. "Jessica's family used to visit the area quite often when she was younger, and I wouldn't be surprised if the place held happy associations for her. It's a good place to start looking."_

_Cortana's holographic form nodded. "Makes sense. But how do we explain our business there? A Spartan running around is going to draw a lot of attention, good or bad."_

_"Leave that to me," Ackerson replied calmly._

It had been a stroke of genius, offering to speak for the Elkton Police Department. They'd recently received a number of new armaments for riot control and tactical operations, and who better to explain them than a highly-trained specialist? John had to hand it to Ackerson—the man was brilliant when it came to undercover operations.

Once the lecture and subsequent demonstrations hand wound to a close, he'd made a few discreet inquiries about new arrivals, and provided a picture of Jessica Hawkes. A local detective, a younger man with curly blond hair and boyish looks, had recognized her as a woman who'd caught his eye recently, a "brown-haired Lynn Hutchins". Further inquiries turned up an address to "an old friend and compatriot from the war". _Which is true, in a way_, John thought in mild amusement. Still, he couldn't help the odd resentment towards the younger man, who claimed "Lynn" had shown an interest in him, a claim that brought amused glances and whispered comments from the older detectives.

_"He's a self-proclaimed ladies' man, sir. Ignore him—he boasts but it's never true."_

All the same, John was glad he was the only one around when he started banging on the door of one Lynn Hutchins. When she didn't come immediately, he banged even louder.

"All right, already!" an angry female voice bellowed from inside. It sounded like Jessica, but with the door in the way he couldn't be sure. Ten minutes later, a striking redhead opened the door, still dripping wet and wrapped in a terrycloth bathrobe.

"I hope you have a decent reason for trying to bash in my apartment door."

John was speechless: of all the greetings he'd been expecting, this wasn't it.


	16. Chapter 15: Confrontation

Hey all! I'm back from the dead! My apologies for my tardiness and the short chapter--I've been running short on ideas of late. Oh well, I tried I guess. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.

Chapter Fifteen: Confrontation

_John was glad he was the only one around when he started banging on the door of one Lynn Hutchins. When she didn't come immediately, he banged even louder._

_"All right, already!" an angry female voice bellowed from inside. It sounded like Jessica, but with the door in the way he couldn't be sure. Ten minutes later, a striking redhead opened the door, still dripping wet and wrapped in a terrycloth bathrobe._

_"I hope you have a decent reason for trying to bash in my apartment door."_

_John was speechless: of all the greetings he'd been expecting, this wasn't it._

He couldn't help but stare at the woman in the doorway: it _had _to be Jessica Hawkes in front of him! There was no mistaking that green-flecked glare, and her voice was an exact match.

"Well, are you going to stand there looking stupid or are you going to let me get back to my bath?" the redhead asked in irritation.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't realize I was disturbing you, but I was told you could help me."

"I can't help anyone when I'm soaking wet, now can I?" she responded.

"Please, ma'am, I only need a moment." John wasn't used to asking for anything, but then again, civilians weren't military and couldn't be ordered around.

The redhead's scowl deepened, but behind it he swore he saw unease, as if she were hiding something. _Then again, if she is Jessica, she wouldn't want to be found out,_ he thought. Finally, she came to a decision.

"All right, but don't expect too much. I don't have any truck with the military if I can avoid it." She opened the door a little wider and he walked in. As he passed her, John noticed something odd: while the rest of her was dripping wet, her red hair was suspiciously dry, and it seemed to sit awkwardly on her head. _A wig? Maybe._

"As I said before, I don't interact with the military all that much, but I'll do what I can if only so I can get back to my bath," the woman was saying. John forced himself to remain calm—it seemed as though Jessica, if it was her, was purposely trying to anger him.

"I'm looking for an old comrade of mine, and last I heard she was in this area. She left the UNSC rather quietly, and I just wanted to talk with her, for old times' sake." _I hope that sounded convincing_, he thought. Pulling a datapad from one of his uniform pockets, John showed the woman a picture of Jessica, and noticed the slight tensing in her shoulders.

"I haven't seen her, but then again I'm not much of a socialite. Maybe someone else at the complex has." As John retrieved the 'pad, he noticed something that any other pair of eyes would have missed: a few damp strands of brown hair were hanging down from under the red mane. There was the last bit of proof he needed—this "Lynn Hutchins" was the missing operative.

"I can point you in the direction of the complex manager," she was saying, "they might have an idea if your friend is here."

"No need for that," John replied as he stepped closer, "_Jessica_."

----

She was trying really hard to get him out of there, but like all Spartans he was persistent. _Hopefully the wig and the attitude will fool him,_ she thought without much hope.

"I can point you in the direction of the complex manager, they might have an idea if your friend is here." _They won't, but maybe it'll throw you off. Not likely, though._

"No need for that,_Jessica_," the Chief answered, moving a step closer. She backed away slightly, feeling a lot like a cornered animal.

"I think you have me confused with someone else," she began, attempting to stall.

"No, I don't. Your eyes gave you away, and your wig's a little crooked." _Damn! Shoulda looked in the mirror first._ After a moment's hesitation, Jessica sighed and pulled the red wig off her head, letting damp brown waves cascade down her back. Looking back at the Chief, she shot him the dirtiest look she could.

"Why in hell did you come looking for me, Chief? I left the military behind for good, and didn't want them in my life anymore. I would've been just as happy living my days out here without you snooping around—what in hell possessed you to come after me?" Jessica knew she was hurting him, even if he didn't let on, but she couldn't help it: after all, she still hadn't gotten over him and the Olympus encounter.

"Ackerson asked me to find you, he was worried that you left like that. He wanted me to make sure you were okay." _Was that hurt in his voice?_ she wondered.

"I'll be fine soon enough," she replied, inwardly wincing at her tone. "In the meantime you can tell Ackerson that I'm perfectly fine, and not to send out any more goons looking for me."

"So that's all you see me as? One of ONI's grunts to be sent out at a moment's notice to play babysitter?" he shot back—Jessica could never remember seeing him this close to anger. Not once had it been mentioned in his file, either.

"Apparently, since even you couldn't see that I wanted to be left be. Why in hell did you agree to come after me?" She watched in surprise when he deflated suddenly.

"Cortana showed me a surveillance log from the _Athens_," he muttered. "Surveillance from your quarters after our last discussion."_WHAT??_

Jessica was speechless—why would Cortana show him that? And why would that make him so eager to find her. _Unless…no, that's not possible, it can't be!_

"You haven't answered my question, Master Chief," she pressed, the hard edge in her voice beginning to waver.

"I think you know the answer, you just won't admit to it," he replied as he moved closer. For some reason she found herself unable to back away.

"We both know ONI would never allow that," Jessica protested, one last weak attempt to maintain her dignity.

"Let Ackerson deal with them." She didn't get the chance to argue further as his lips met hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she was pressed against him.

For a long while each had nothing to say.


	17. Chapter 16: Happy Endings Finally

Well, this is it, the last chapter of Silent Call! I hope everyone enjoyed it, and if anyone feels up to continuing this feel free (just ask first lol). Thanks for reading:D

Disclaimer: I own nothing from Halo.

Chapter Sixteen: Happy Endings (Finally!)

"_You haven't answered my question, Master Chief," she pressed, the hard edge in her voice beginning to waver._

_"I think you know the answer, you just won't admit to it," he replied as he moved closer. For some reason she found herself unable to back away._

_"We both know ONI would never allow that," Jessica protested, one last weak attempt to maintain her dignity._

_"Let Ackerson deal with them." She didn't get the chance to argue further as his lips met hers. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she was pressed against him._

_For a long while each had nothing to say._

Jessica was sleeping when John opened an audio/visual transmission to Sydney—a secure line directly to Colonel Ackerson.

"Colonel? I found her."

"She's alright? Not hurt or anything?" the other man asked. There was concern in his voice, as if he knew he wasn't getting all the information. _Guess he really was worried after all,_ John thought.

"She's perfectly healthy, sir, apart from a few fatigue issues. I had a little trouble finding her, but not as much as we expected."

"I noticed," Ackerson commented dryly, gesturing to the Spartan's torso, which he finally remembered was bare. "You are aware of the regulations against military fraternization, are you not?"

"I am, sir, but Jessica's not military anymore. And I…" John paused searching for the right words to express his feelings, something he hadn't done since he was a kid.

Ackerson seemed to understand what the Chief was trying to say. "Don't worry, Master Chief. I'm sure ONI owes you quite a bit—and I know I do, for looking after Jessica on that mission. We'll make sure the UNSC looks the other way." A smile played across the older man's features. "Just don't enjoy yourself too much, Chief. Sydney out."

John stared at the blank screen, thinking about the Colonel's words. '_Just don't enjoy yourself too much'….'We'll make sure the UNSC looks the other way'….what did he mean?_ The more suspicious part of his mind said Ackerson was plotting something, but after everything that had happened he wasn't so sure. Maybe the ONI colonel was up to something, maybe not—as far as he was concerned, it was too soon to tell.

A faint stirring in the bedroom reached his ears, and he smiled. Moving silently into the back of the apartment, he watched as the sleeping brunette gradually woke up. A green-flecked brown eye opened, a slow hand brushed hair out of her face, and Jessica Hawkes blinked up at him sleepily.

"Where'd you get to, Chief?" she yawned.

"Had to make a phone call to an old friend of yours." He watched as understanding slowly dawned—clearly, Jessica wasn't a morning person, and it took a while for her normally-sharp mind to get itself going.

"The man still thinks I'm ten years old sometimes, I swear," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"He does treat you like a daughter. You didn't see him when you vanished, he wasn't as calm as he usually is."

"Still, I'm not a kid anymore, there's no need for him to worry…oh well, I'll yell at him later." Jessica sat up and stretched, apparently forgetting that she was in minimal clothing. He couldn't help but stare, and had no idea when she reached for the pillow.

_WHAP!_

"Gah! What the hell?" She snickered evilly.

"Score one for Hawkes, zero for the Chief. See, that's what happens when you let your guard down."

He glanced at the pillow she'd thrown at him, at her still sitting in the bed, and felt a grin spreading across his face. Before Jessica could have the chance to react, he lunged and pinned her to her own bed.

"This is what happens when you provoke a Spartan," he stated, staring down at the woman beneath him. He felt her stop squirming and a now-familiar sense of arousal.

"Guess I'll just have to do that more often," she grinned as John bent his head down to kiss her.

----

Jessica raised her head, a weary smile gracing her lips. _Never thought feeling exhausted would feel this good._ Deciding she needed a better vantage point, she propped herself up on one arm and looked down at John.

"Don't tell me you're tired, Chief," she murmured softly.

"Hardly, just letting you rest," he replied, leaning up to place a kiss on her cheek. Jessica shook her head and sat up the rest of the way. The sheets fell back to expose her upper body, and she grabbed a robe to ward off the sudden chill. _Get up, get moving, then you can relax a bit_, she told herself mentally.

"Leaving so soon?" John asked as she stood on shaky legs.

"I was just going to get some food—I daresay you could use a recharge as well." Tying the robe closed, Jessica meandered out to the kitchen and began pulling things together for a light brunch. She didn't hear a sound, and had no idea John had followed her to the kitchen until he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Chief, I can't exactly get food together if I'm trapped, now can I?"

"I can wait a bit longer," he whispered along her neck—the man was close to bent double, but it didn't feel that way. Jessica waited a little, and managed to slip out of his arms.

"You can, but I can't. I need something in my system or I'll end up flat on the floor." She cast an amused glance at John's disappointed look. "Don't worry, it won't take long." True to her word, in a matter of minutes they were both sitting down to a decent meal (better by far than the rations served on board the _Athens_).

"What's on your mind?" She could tell there was something he wanted to ask—one thing she'd learned from ONI was how to read people, even the ones who were good at wearing masks.

"Lynn Hutchins?" Jessica chuckled—she'd been expecting that question sooner or later.

"My mom's last name and my middle name. You never wondered what the 'L' stood for?" Still smiling, she carried her empty plate to the kitchen sink. "Since there are tons of people named Lynn, and even more with the name Hutchins, I figured it'd be a safe bet. Didn't think anyone would find me, especially with that red wig."

"Then you've never gone up against a Spartan," John replied with a small smile.

Epilogue—Two Years Later

She stood by the window, watching her husband playing with their son Jacen. The youngster was attempting to pelt his dad with snowballs, but was having little success. Still, she had to give him some credit in regards to his aim—he was doing better than most two-year-olds in that regard. _I wonder…_

The two were coming back inside; a door was closed and moments she heard the tramping of toddler-sized feet down the hall. Jessica turned from the window just in time to see Jacen stumble into the room.

"Momma!" He was trying to run, but the afternoon outside had worn him out. She crossed the distance and scooped him up.

"Hey squirt, how you? You all tuckered out?" Jessica didn't need to see the little one yawning to know he was worn out. Carrying him upstairs, she tucked him in his bed and quietly left the room. John was standing in the hallway, a small smile on his face.

"He has a lot of energy, doesn't he?"

"More than a normal two-year-old, believe me, and a lot more stamina than any youngster I've ever seen. I wonder how much of that is because of you." She chuckled.

"He's gonna be a handful when he gets older, I'll have to let you babysit him."

"Oh no, no way am I getting stuck with raising him," John protested. "I have no idea how to raise a kid, not after…not after Reach." His voice dropped, and Jessica sensed his unease, and to a degree his sorrow. _He still misses them, the other Spartans. The war cost all of them too much._ She placed a comforting hand on his arm (since his shoulder was far out of reach).

"You seem to be doing fine with him as is," she murmured. "I'm sure he'll be fine under your tutelage." She snickered again. "Plus, if I'm right, I doubt I'll be able to teach him once his augmentations kick in. I have a feeling he'll be faster and smarter than everyone else: he'll need you to guide him."

"I'll take care of it then," he replied, the smile returning to his face. Jessica hugged him, smiling in her own right. Now to drop the next bombshell: she was looking forward to this.

"John?"

"Yeah?"

"How would you feel about a little girl?"

WHUMP!!

_Oh wow…._Jessica had to have been the first person to see a Spartan faint.

THE END


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